What Saarländischer Rundfunk does

Saarländischer Rundfunk (SR) is the public broadcasting institution (Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts) for the German state of Saarland, founded in 1956 and headquartered in Funkhaus Halberg, Saarbrücken. As a founding member of the ARD consortium, SR operates five radio stations (SR 1 Europawelle, SR kultur, SR 3 Saarlandwelle, DASDING, and Antenne Saar), a regional television channel (SR Fernsehen), teletext (SAARTEXT), and a suite of digital platforms including SR.de, the SR Mediathek (integrated with ARD Mediathek), the SR Audiothek, and dedicated iOS/Android mobile apps for each major station and on-demand service. Distribution spans FM/DAB+ radio, DVB-T2/satellite/cable television, web livestreams, mobile apps, and Chromecast, with push notifications and accessibility features (subtitles, audio description, ReadSpeaker text-to-speech). Content covers regional news, weather, traffic, sports, culture, children's programming, and German-French Greater Region reporting, with the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie operated jointly with SWR as a flagship cultural asset.

SR is funded not through commercial pricing but through the mandatory national Rundfunkbeitrag (household broadcasting fee) administered across Germany and allocated to ARD members by the KEF, with no direct charge to end consumers. Governance rests on a Rundfunkrat (Broadcasting Council) chaired by Thomas Jakobs, with the Intendant (chief executive) role held by Martin Grasmück acting as statutory legal representative. The customer base is effectively the entire Saarland and Greater Region (parts of Lorraine, Luxembourg, Belgium) public, served under a public-service mandate rather than a commercial GTM motion; strategic priorities are set by the 2022-approved Telemedienänderungskonzept governing online first/online only content, retention, and third-party platform presence.

Name

Saarländischer Rundfunk

Legal name

Saarländischer Rundfunk

Website

https://sr.de

Company type

Public

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Saarländischer Rundfunk is the public broadcaster for Saarland, Germany, operating five radio stations, regional television, and digital platforms as a member of the ARD consortium, funded by the mandatory German household broadcasting fee.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832), Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

Public/Noncommercial Radio Broadcasting (NPR, Community, Campus) (MPAIAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Network-Affiliated Local TV Stations (ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX/CW/Telemundo/Univision, etc.) (MPABACAE), Educational/Instructional Public Media Services (Schools, Distance Learning) (MPABADAH), Radio Content Production & Studios (On-air Production, Imaging, Jingles) (MPAIAEAL)

Keywords

• Public broadcasting
• Regional radio
• Regional television
• Media streaming
• Digital content delivery

Headquarters

HQ city

Saarbrücken

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Saarländischer Rundfunk is the regional public broadcasting corporation for the German state of Saarland, producing and distributing radio programming across five stations, a regional television channel (SR Fernsehen), and a portfolio of digital media offerings (SR.de, SR Mediathek, SR Audiothek, mobile apps, and SAARTEXT teletext). The institution also co-operates the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie orchestra jointly with SWR. All output is delivered at no charge to the consumer, funded by the statutory nationwide Rundfunkbeitrag household broadcasting contribution.

Product overview

Saarländischer Rundfunk (SR) is a public broadcasting institution operating as a unified platform-plus-sub-brands architecture. The core offering is SR.de, a comprehensive digital portal providing news, regional information, and access to all SR content. This core platform is supported by multiple sub-brands spanning radio (SR 1 Europawelle, SR kultur, SR 3 Saarlandwelle, DASDING, Antenne Saar), television (SR Fernsehen with programs like Wir im Saarland, aktueller bericht, SR info), and on-demand services (SR Mediathek for video streaming, SR Audiothek for podcasts). The SR App provides mobile access to all offerings, while SAARTEXT offers teletext services. The Deutsche Radio Philharmonie is SR's symphony orchestra operated jointly with SWR. SR's digital presence integrates with the ARD collective, enabling national content sharing and the ARD Mediathek platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SR.de Primary internet portal of Saarländischer Rundfunk providing news, regional information, weather, traffic reports, and access to all SR radio streams, television programs, and the Mediathek, for consumers in Saarland and the Greater Region.
• SR 1 Europawelle Radio station providing regional news, music, and entertainment programming for the Saarland region, distributed via FM, DAB+, satellite, cable, and internet streaming.
• SR kultur Cultural radio station featuring classical music, cultural reporting, and in-depth cultural programming for Saarland audiences.
• SR 3 Saarlandwelle Radio station with regional programming, music, and information specific to Saarland and the Greater Region, available via FM, DAB+, antenna, cable, satellite, and internet.
• DASDING Youth-oriented digital radio station targeting younger audiences with contemporary music and programming, available online and via DAB+.
• Antenne Saar Regional radio station broadcasting news, music, and local content for Saarland, delivered via FM and DAB+ and including relays of Radio France Internationale.
• SR Fernsehen Regional television broadcasting arm of Saarländischer Rundfunk, offering regional news, documentaries, entertainment, and cultural programming for the Saarland, distributed via DVB-T2, satellite, cable, and livestream.
• SR Mediathek Video-on-demand and streaming platform for SR television content, available via the ARD Mediathek and through dedicated SR apps for on-demand viewing.
• SR Audiothek Podcast and audio archive platform offering SR radio content on demand for Saarland audiences.
• SR App suite (SR, SR 1, SR 3, UnserDing, SR Mediathek) Mobile applications available for iOS and Android providing access to SR radio streams, television content, push notifications via Google Cloud Messaging and Apple Push Notifications, and Chromecast media casting.
• SAARTEXT Teletext service providing news, information, and program guides in text format, transmitted over the broadcast signal.
• Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Joint symphony orchestra of Saarländischer Rundfunk and Südwestrundfunk (SWR), based in Saarbrücken-Kaiserslautern, performing classical and contemporary music that supports SR's radio and concert programming.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ARD (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSR is a founding member of the ARD consortium of German public broadcasters. ARD coordinates national programming including Das Erste television, shared digital platforms (ARD Mediathek, ARD Audio), news exchange, sports rights negotiations, and joint technology initiatives. SR contributes regional content to the national network while benefiting from shared resources and national reach.
• Südwestrundfunk (SWR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSR and SWR jointly operate the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie (DRP) orchestra, based in Saarbrücken-Kaiserslautern. This joint radio orchestra represents a significant cultural partnership producing classical music programming.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR): ARD member broadcasting for Bavaria with radio, TV, and online platforms including BR Mediathek. Direct comparable as a German regional public broadcaster with full multi-platform delivery and digital on-demand offerings.
• Deutschlandradio: National public radio broadcaster funded by Rundfunkbeitrag, operating Deutschlandfunk, Deutschlandfunk Kultur, and Deutschlandfunk Nova. Comparable fee-funded public audio broadcaster with overlapping distribution and digital platforms.
• Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR): ARD member broadcasting across Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. Comparable in mandate, multi-platform architecture, and public-broadcaster funding model.
• Hessischer Rundfunk (HR): ARD member for Hesse with radio, TV, and hr-mediathek digital platform. Directly comparable as a state-level German public broadcaster.
• Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB): ARD member serving Berlin and Brandenburg. Comparable public-broadcaster structure, though operating in a significantly larger and more urban market than SR.
• Südwestrundfunk (SWR): Largest ARD regional broadcaster covering Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate; jointly operates Deutsche Radio Philharmonie with SR. Comparable as fellow ARD member with similar multi-radio, multi-TV, and digital platform architecture.
• Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR): ARD member serving Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, and Schleswig-Holstein with radio, TV, and digital services. Comparable as multi-state German public broadcaster with similar governance and funding.
• Westdeutscher Rundfunk Köln (WDR): Largest ARD member, broadcasting for North Rhine-Westphalia with radio, TV, and extensive digital products including WDR Mediathek. Directly comparable structure and public mandate to SR.

Regional players

• Radio France: French national public broadcaster operating multiple radio stations and france.tv. Comparable as a fee-funded public broadcaster with cross-border Greater Region audience overlap, though it serves France rather than Germany directly.

Broad incumbents

• Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF): Germany's national public television broadcaster, funded by the same Rundfunkbeitrag. Broader incumbent that shares ARD's public-mandate and fee-funding model but operates at national rather than regional scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCnFrQ2IXQlW6sFPe4ys09rQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/SRinfo.sr
• Instagraminstagram.com/srinfo
• Xx.com/saartext

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Saarländischer Rundfunk