100 hours more broadcasting time but no financial aid in Berlin
Berlin/ Potsdam, GER – Since October 31st 2016 Pi Radio Verbund is on air.
Everyday from Monday to Friday, 6am to 1am Pi Radio Verbund broadcasts in Berlin and Potsdam, Germany.
Pi Radio Verbund is an alliance of the Berlin-based free community radios Pi Radio, Colaboradio, Studio Ansage and Potsdam-based free community radio Frrapo. In their session on September 14th, 2016, the Media Council (Medienrat) of the Berlin-Brandenburg
State Institute of Media (mabb) decided and declared a new distribution of transmission times on the FM-frequencies 88,4 MHz in Berlin and 90,7 MHz in Potsdam. The new distribution of broadcasting slots was made possible by moving Berlin public-access radio ALEX to the FM-frequency 91,0 MHz.
Despite of the additional airtime, the free community radios in Berlin and Brandenburg are lacking basic structural funding since the current media statutory regulations of the State Broadcasting Agreement prevent the funding of non-commercial local radios (NKL). Jörg Depta of Pi Radio Verbund explains: „We welcome the decision of the Media Council of mabb
to extent the broadcasting times in favour of free community radios. Now, the politicians of the Berlin Senate and the Brandenburg State Parliament (Landtag) are required to create the statutary fundamentals necessary to support non-commercial local radio financially by the State Institute of Media.
“In the upcoming session before Christmas”, Depta hopes, “there will be a decision in favour of Free Radios in Berlin and Brandenburg”.
Pi Radio, and its pirate and event radio predecessors Radio P and many others, are demanding a license for free community radio in Berlin since 1989!