 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(January 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
 | You can helpexpand this article with text translated fromthe corresponding article in German. (January 2021)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
 | |
| Type | Broadcast radio, television and online |
|---|---|
| Country | Germany |
| Headquarters | Leipzig, Germany |
Key people | Karola Wille, Intendant |
Launch date | 1 March 1924 (MIRAG) 1 January 1992 (MDR) |
Official website | mdr |
Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (pronounced[ˈmɪtl̩ˌdɔʏtʃɐˈʁʊntfʊŋk]; "Central German Broadcasting"), shortened toMDR (pronounced[ˌɛmdeːˈʔɛʁ]ⓘ; stylized asmdr), is thepublic broadcaster for thefederal states ofThuringia,Saxony andSaxony-Anhalt in Germany. Established in January 1991, its headquarters are inLeipzig, with regional studios inDresden,Erfurt andMagdeburg. MDR is a member of theARD consortium of public broadcasters in Germany.
MDR broadcasts its own television channel to the three states it serves and also contributes programming to the first German TV channel (Das Erste), and broadcasts a number of radio channels.
The Mitteldeutsche Rundfunk AG (MIRAG) was founded on 22 January 1924 inLeipzig. It aired its first program on 1 March 1924 at 14:30 CET.[1]
During theGleichschaltung in theNazi era, the MIRAG was transferred to the "Reichssender Leipzig" in 1934.[2]
After the end of the Second World War, theSoviet Military Administration in Germany temporarily licensed "Radio Leipzig" in 1945, which only existed for a few months until the Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk was founded again. In 1946 the new program "Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk, Sender Leipzig" started in the Springerstrasse broadcasting house.
In September 1952, the "Sender Leipzig" program was converted to the "Berlin III" entertainment program. In 1956 the regional program of Radio DDR (English: RadioGDR), "Sender Leipzig", was introduced.
On 31 May 1991, Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR) was founded as public broadcaster servingSaxony,Saxony-Anhalt andThuringia, and became a member ofARD. MDR began their first television transmission immediately afterDFF's final closedown on midnight of New Year's Day 1992.
In August 2022Ines Hoge-Lorenz, the managing director of the regional state branch of Saxony-Anhalt of the MDR was sacked because of her family ties to a corruption scandal ten years ago.[3]
MDR has approximately 2,000 employees. The main television studio is inLeipzig, and the main radio studio is inHalle. There are also radio and TV studios in each of the three state capitals for the territory that MDR represents:Dresden (Saxony),Erfurt (Thuringia), andMagdeburg (Saxony-Anhalt).
In 2012 87% of MDR's total annual income of €684,529,979[4] was derived from thelicence fees payable by all households at the rate of €18.36 (per month).[5]These fees are not collected directly by MDR but by theBeitragsservice ("fee collection service") owned jointly by ARD (and its members), the second television networkZDF, and the national radio broadcasterDeutschlandradio.
MDR produces programming independently and in collaboration with other broadcasters, for transmission by a number of television and radio networks.
MDR also contributes programming to the following:
The MDR operates two musical organizations and a ballet corps.
TheMDR Symphony Orchestra (German: MDR Sinfonieorchester) was founded in 1915 as "Orchester des Konzertvereins" ("Orchestra of the Concert Society"). It became the "Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Leipzig" ("Radio Symphony Orchestra Leipzig") in 1924. Principal conductors have included Herbert Kegel,Wolf-Dieter Hauschild, Daniel Nazareth andFabio Luisi. Since September 2007,Jun Märkl is the orchestra's principal conductor.
The laterMDR Rundfunkchor (MDR radio choir) was founded in 1946 as the Rundfunkchor Leipzig ("Leipzig Radio Choir").
The MDR managed MDR TV Ballet (German: MDR Fernsehballett), the only TV ballet company in Europe. It was founded in 1962 asDFF-Fernsehballet, reorganized in 1992, and has 30 members. MDR sold the Ballet in 2012. It's now known asDeutsches Fernsehballett.
MDR does not own its own transmission towers. They are owned and operated byDeutsche Telekom.
Several podcasts produced by MDR are available through theiTunes Music Store and via RSS. They are essentially repeats of regular radio programmes, including: "Figaro," "MDR Info," "Programming Highlights," "Riverboat," "Sputnik" and "Unter uns."
The managing directors of MDR:
MDR produces several programs for the ARD, including crime drama episodes for the seriesTatort ("Crime Scene") andPolizeiruf 110 ("Police Emergency 110"). MDR also produces the successful hospital seriesIn aller Freundschaft ("In friendship") and the animal seriesAbenteuer Zoo ("Adventure Zoo"),Deutschlands wilde Tiere ("Germany's Wild Animals") andEuropas wilder Osten ("Europe's Wild East").
