Österreichischer Rundfunk,
ORF, ("Austrian Broadcasting") is the
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n national
public servicePublic broadcasting includes radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing.Public broadcasting may be...
broadcaster.
Funded from a combination of a
television licenceA television licence is an official licence required in many countries for the reception of television broadcasts...
fees and revenue from limited on-air advertising, ORF is the dominant player in the Austrian broadcast
mediaMass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
. Austria was the last country in Europe after
AlbaniaAlbania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
to allow national private television.
History of broadcasting in Austria
The first test transmissions in Austria were made in 1923 by
Radio Hekaphon, run by a technical school in
ViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. It was, however, the publicly owned RAVAG –
Radio-Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft, "Radio Communication Company Ltd" – which, in February 1924, was awarded the concession to begin broadcasting, with the radio pioneer and enthusiast Oskar Czeja as its
Director-GeneralThe term director-general is a title given the highest executive officer within a governmental, statutory, NGO, third sector or not-for-profit institution.-European Union:...
. Regular transmissions began on 1 October 1924 from studios inside the Ministry of Armed Forces building that were to become known as "
Radio Wien". By the end of October 1924 the station already had 30,000 listeners, and by January 1925 100,000. Relay transmitters, established across the country by 1934, ensured that all Austrians could listen to
Radio Wien.
With the
AnschlussThe Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
in 1938, RAVAG was eliminated and Radio Wien was made subordinate to the
Reichs-Rundfunk-GesellschaftThe Reichs-Rundfunk-Gesellschaft , which can be loosely translated as the State Broadcasting Company, was a national network of German regional public broadcasting companies active from 1925 until 1945...
in Berlin. Following Germany's defeat in 1945, independent Austrian radio broadcasting was re-established, and a new "
Radio Wien" was founded, once again under Oskar Czeijas. A number of other radio stations began broadcasting in the different occupation zones and radio become a popular medium among Austrians: in 1952 there were 1.5 million radio sets in Austrian homes. In 1955 the various regional stations were brought together as the
Österreichisches Rundspruchwesen ("Austrian Broadcasting Entity") which later, in 1958, became the
Österreichischer Rundfunk GmbH, forerunner of today's ORF.
Radio channels
- Ö1
Ö1 is an Austrian radio station: one of the four national networks operated by Austria's public broadcaster ORF. It focuses on classical music, jazz, documentaries, features, news, radio plays, radio dramas, cabaret, quiz shows, and discussions.Ö1's programming mix of information, culture, music,...
- ORF's cultural and principal news channel
- Hitradio Ö3
Hitradio Ö3 is one of the national radio stations of Austria's state-run broadcaster ORF.The station focuses on contemporary music. Until 1995 its schedules included many specialist music shows, but following a reorganization of ORF's channels shortly before the introduction in Austria of private...
- pop music channel
- FM4
FM4 is an Austrian national radio station, operated by the ORF. Its main target is the youth audience, and much of the music output is characterised by an alternative rock and electronic music slant....
- channel for (alternative) youth culture
- The former Ö2
Under the name Österreich 2 all ORF regional radios, regulated by public law, are subsumed. These 9 regional radios only broadcast in their state.The following radio stations are part of Ö2:*Radio Wien...
has been replaced by nine regional channels (one for each Bundesland):
- Radio Burgenland
Radio Burgenland is the regional radio for Burgenland and is part of the Österreich 2 group.It is broadcast by the ORF, and the programs from Radio Burgenland are made in the ORF Burgenland Studio....
- Radio Kärnten
Radio Kärnten is the regional radio for Carinthia and is part of the Österreich 2 group.It is broadcast by the ORF, and the programs from Radio Kärnten are made in the ORF Kärnten Studio....
- Radio Niederösterreich
Radio Niederösterreich is the regional radio for Lower Austria, and is part of the Österreich 2 group.It is broadcast by the ORF, and the programs from Radio Niederösterreich are made in the ORF Niederösterreich Studio....
- Radio Oberösterreich
Radio Oberösterreich is the regional radio for Upper Austria, and is part of the Österreich 2 group.It is broadcast by the ORF, and the programs from Radio Oberösterreich are made in the ORF Oberösterreich Studio....
- Radio Salzburg
Radio Salzburg is the regional radio for Salzburg, and is part of the Österreich 2 group.It is broadcast by the ORF, and the programs from Radio Salzburg are made in the ORF Salzburg Studio.- History :...
- Radio Steiermark
Radio Steiermark is the regional radio for Styria, and is part of the Österreich 2 group.It is broadcast by the ORF, and the programs from Radio Steiermark are made in the ORF Steiermark Studio.- Frequencies :The most important frequencies:...
- Radio Tirol
Radio Tirol is the regional radio for Tyrol and the German-speaking population of South Tyrol, and is part of the Österreich 2 group.It is broadcast by the ORF, and the programs from Radio Tirol are made in the ORF Tirol Studio.-History:...
- Radio Vorarlberg
Radio Vorarlberg is the regional radio for Vorarlberg and is part of the Österreich 2 group.It is broadcast by the ORF, and the programs from Radio Vorarlberg are made in the ORF Vorarlberg Studio....
- Radio Wien
Radio Wien is the regional radio for Vienna, and is part of the Österreich 2 group.It is broadcast by the ORF, and the programs from Radio Wien are made in the ORF Wien Studio.- Moderators :*Hadschi Bankhofer *Sascha Boctor...
All of these radio channels are broadcast terrestrially on
FMFM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
and via the
digitalA digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
service of the
AstraAstra is the name for the geostationary communication satellites, both individually and as a group, which are owned and operated by SES S.A., a global satellite operator based in Betzdorf, in eastern Luxembourg. The name is sometimes also used to describe the channels broadcasting from these...
satelliteIn the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
s at
19.2° eastAstra 19.2°E is the name for the group of communications satellites co-located at the 19.2°East orbital position in the Clarke Belt that are owned and operated by SES Astra, a subsidiary of SES based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg....
.
All of ORF's domestic radio channels are also streamed over the internet. An extra 24-hour all-news channel is available exclusively via internet: this is Ö1-Inforadio which relays all of Ö1's news content and fills the "gaps", during which Ö1 is transmitting music and cultural programmes, with additional news broadcasts.
A version of Ö1 is broadcast internationally via short wave (and satellite in Europe) as Ö1 International. Its schedule includes a small number of programmes in English and Spanish.
An additional service,
Radio 1476Radio 1476 was an Austrian radio station, broadcast by the ORF, which allowed organizations and ethnic groups to share their programs. It was broadcast by the transmitter "Sender Bisamberg", on the frequency 1476 on medium wave, hence the name of the station...
, was broadcasted on medium-wave in the evenings between 18:00 and just after midnight. Its schedule was a mixture of items from Ö1, programmes for linguistic and cultural minorities, folk music, and special productions.
Television channels
- ORF eins
- ORF eins HD
- ORF2
ORF2 is an Austrian television channel owned by ORF.ORF2 was launched on 11 September 1961 as a technical test programme. Since 1970, ORF2 broadcasts on seven days a week. Today it is one of the three public TV channels in Austria.Where as ORF1 focuses on tv series and movies, ORF2 broadcasts...
(with regional programmes)
- ORF2 HD
- ORF2 Europe
Since July 2006, a trans-European version of the channel, ORF2 Europe, is broadcast free-to-air. The service is similar to the Austrian version, though some programs are replaced with a video simulcast of Ö1, ORF's international radio service....
- ORF III
ORF III, sometimes called ORF 3 is an Austrian television channel owned by the Austrian national broadcaster, Österreichischer Rundfunk . The channel launched on 26 October 2011 at 14:00 CEST, and replaced TW1 which closed the same day....
(started on October 26th, 2011)
- ORF Sport + (formerly ORF Sport Plus
ORF Sport + in an Austrian sports channel owned by the public service broadcaster, ORF.The channel is available via Astra 1A, cable and DVB-T, in Austria and parts of Europe.-History:...
)
- 3sat
3sat is the name of a public, advertising-free, television network in Central Europe. The programming is in German and is broadcast primarily within Germany, Austria and Switzerland .3sat was established for cultural...
(in association with ARDARD is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters...
, ZDFZweites Deutsches Fernsehen , ZDF, is a public-service German television broadcaster based in Mainz . It is run as an independent non-profit institution, which was founded by the German federal states . The ZDF is financed by television licence fees called GEZ and advertising revenues...
and SFSchweizer Fernsehen is the German language division of SRG SSR, in charge of production and distribution of television programmes in German for German-speaking Switzerland...
)
- TW1
TW1 was an Austrian digital television channel, broadcasting programmes about news, culture, leisure, travel and weather. It was owned by the Austrian national broadcaster, Österreichischer Rundfunk...
(closed on October 26th, 2011- repleced by ORF III)
The ORF television channels are broadcast
terrestriallyTerrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
and via the
AstraAstra is the name for the geostationary communication satellites, both individually and as a group, which are owned and operated by SES S.A., a global satellite operator based in Betzdorf, in eastern Luxembourg. The name is sometimes also used to describe the channels broadcasting from these...
1H
satelliteIn the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
at
19.2° eastAstra 19.2°E is the name for the group of communications satellites co-located at the 19.2°East orbital position in the Clarke Belt that are owned and operated by SES Astra, a subsidiary of SES based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg....
. Via satellite ORF eins and ORF2 are encrypted allowing only Austrian residents who pay the Austrian
television licenceA television licence is an official licence required in many countries for the reception of television broadcasts...
(
Gebühren Info Service, "GIS") to watch them. ORF2 Europe is unencrypted and receivable via satellite in Europe.
ORF is a supporter of the
Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TVHybrid Broadcast Broadband TV is both an industry standard and promotional initiative for hybrid digital TV to harmonise the broadcast, IPTV, and broadband delivery of entertainment to the end consumer through connected TVs and set-top boxes...
(HbbTV) innitiative (a consortium of broadcasting and Internet industry companies including
SES AstraAstra is the name for the geostationary communication satellites, both individually and as a group, which are owned and operated by SES S.A., a global satellite operator based in Betzdorf, in eastern Luxembourg. The name is sometimes also used to describe the channels broadcasting from these...
,
OpenTVOpenTV is an interactive television company founded in 1994. Its main business involves the sale of set-top-box operating systems and software. On March 28, 2010 OpenTV became a fully owned subsidiary of the NAGRA Kudelski Group and officially delisted from the NASDAQ, where it was previously...
and
Institut für RundfunktechnikThe Institut für Rundfunktechnik GmbH is the research centre of the German broadcasters , Austria's broadcaster and the Swiss public broadcaster . It is located in Munich and is responsible for the research and standardisation of broadcasting technology...
) that is promoting and establishing an open European standard for hybrid set-top boxes for the reception of broadcast TV and broadband multimedia applications with a single user interface.
Regional studios
The ORF has one regional studio in each state, where each state produces its own radio and state television, which is broadcast over ORF2. The regional studio in Tyrol, also produces regional television and radio for the German-speaking population of
South TyrolSouth Tyrol , also known by its Italian name Alto Adige, is an autonomous province in northern Italy. It is one of the two autonomous provinces that make up the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The province has an area of and a total population of more than 500,000 inhabitants...
,
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Even though each state has its own studio, most ORF productions are heavily focused on Vienna, since most shows are made there.
Major stars
Most of Austria's best known TV stars are working for ORF. According to surveys the most prominent television presenter in the country is former ski runner
Armin AssingerArmin Assinger is a former Austrian Alpine skier and current host of the Millionenshow and Domino Day.A native of Graz, he won a total of 4 World Cup races.- World Cup victories:-External links:*...
who is the host of the "
Millionen-Show", Austria's version of Who wants to be a millionaire.
Mirjam WeichselbraunMirjam Weichselbraun is an Austrian television host.Her first experience in broadcasting was with the regional radio station Antenne Tirol in 1999 and she first appeared in front of the camera in 2001 on the culture program Das Magazin on the channel TV Tirol.In 2000, she was voted the BRAVO-Girl...
, a former
MTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
presenter is hosting Austria's edition of
Dancing with the starsDancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
. The most popular comedy show on ORF is "
Wir sind Kaiser" ("We are Emperor") with comedian
Robert PalfraderRobert Palfrader is an Austrian actor, comedian and author.Originally, he was the owner of a café in Vienna's Josefstadt district...
playing "Emperor Robert Heinrich I". and inviting celebrity guests to make fun of them. The best known news anchors are talk show host Ingrid Thurnher who was given 7
RomyThe Romy TV award in honor of the actress Romy Schneider was created in 1990 by the Austrian newspaper Kurier – or rather their movie reviewer Rudolf John, who also designed the 30.5 cm gilded trophy. It recalls a scene from the movie The Swimmingpool with Alain Delon, when Romy Schneider...
awards as most popular presenter,
Danielle SperaDanielle Spera is an Austrian journalist and a curator.- Academic career :Spera was borne to a Jewish father and a Catholic mother and visited a Catholic private school. Subsequently she studied two semester English and French at the University of Vienna, before she finally changed to journalism...
who anchors the main evening news show "Zeit im Bild" at 7.30 p.m., Armin Wolf who is best known for his hard-hitting interviews on the late evening news show "ZiB 2", and Gabi Waldner, moderator of the weekly political magazine "Report".
External links