Radio Erft

What Radio Erft does

Radio Erft is a private local radio station founded in 1992, headquartered in Wesseling, Germany, and broadcasting to the Rhein-Erft-Kreis region in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is one of seven stations in the NRW Lokalradios network alongside Radio Köln, Radio Bonn/Rhein-Sieg, Radio Leverkusen, Radio Berg, Radio Euskirchen, and Radio Rur. The station positions itself as the most-listened local radio station in the Rhein-Erft-Kreis and serves the populations of approximately 11 municipalities including Bedburg, Bergheim, Brühl, Elsdorf, Erftstadt, Frechen, Hürth, Kerpen, Pulheim, and Wesseling.

The core product is FM/UKW radio programming covering local news, weather, traffic, community events, music, and sports, supplemented by a portfolio of digital distribution surfaces: a mobile app for iOS and Android, an Amazon Alexa skill, 15+ web radio channels, a WhatsApp Channel for news and audience interaction, and a podcast library including Daily Hannes, Atze - Wat ne Woche, Polizeifunk, and Streamingtipps. Approximately 60 named staff support editorial, on-air, technical, and office functions, and the tech stack combines traditional broadcast infrastructure with digital streaming platforms and voice assistant integrations.

The revenue model is advertising-based, with streams spanning radio spots (20-30 second ads with a ~1,500 EUR net entry point and recommended 15-20 airings per campaign), sponsored content integrations during weather/traffic/news segments, streaming ads, display advertising on station websites, social media advertising, and special advertising formats such as contests and listener participation campaigns. Cross-station bundled campaigns across all 7 NRW Lokalradios allow a single advertiser to reach hundreds of thousands of daily listeners across the southern Rhineland. Sponsored content series are sold as recurring programs to advertisers in verticals such as banking, real estate, energy, legal services, and healthcare.

Name

Radio Erft

Legal name

Radio Erft

Website

https://radioerft.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Radio Erft is a private local FM radio station serving the Rhein-Erft-Kreis region in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, offering local news, weather, traffic, music, and podcasts via broadcast, mobile app, Alexa, and WhatsApp, monetized primarily through regional advertising and sponsored content programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Terrestrial Radio Broadcasting (AM/FM) (MPAIAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Radio Streaming & Catch-Up Audio Platforms (MPAIADAJ), Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE), Local Radio Station Groups (Owned & Operated/Station Chains) (MPABACAC)

Keywords

• Local radio broadcasting
• Regional news coverage
• Radio advertising
• Podcast production
• Music streaming

Headquarters

HQ city

Wesseling

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Radio Advertising: Classical radio spots (20-30 seconds) in UKW program, produced in-house, recommended 15-20 airings per campaign. Also includes streaming ads in apps, browsers, and smart speakers. Entry point at approximately 1,500 EUR net.
2. Sponsoring: Brand presence during weather, traffic, and news segments - branded content integration within programming
3. Display Advertising: Banner advertisements on sender websites - daily thousands of visits next to local content
4. Social Media Advertising: Sponsored posts through station social media channels with organic reach plus paid amplification
5. Special Advertising Formats: Contests, actions, and listener participation campaigns for campaigns that generate attention
6. Cross-Station Campaigns: Combined bookings across all 7 NRW local radio stations - one contact, one campaign, maximum regional coverage

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Radio Erft operates a local FM/UKW radio station serving the Rhein-Erft-Kreis region in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, broadcasting local news, weather, traffic, sports, and music programming. The station extends its reach through a mobile app, an Alexa skill, web streaming with 15+ genre channels, podcasts, and a WhatsApp channel. Its commercial offering is a portfolio of advertising services including radio spots, sponsorships, display ads, social media ads, and cross-station campaigns across the NRW Lokalradios network.

Product overview

Radio Erft operates as a local radio station serving the Rhein-Erft-Kreis region in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The station offers a multi-platform content ecosystem comprising traditional FM radio broadcasting, a mobile application for iOS and Android, an Amazon Alexa voice skill for smart speakers and TVs, over 15 web radio channels for streaming, and a diverse portfolio of podcasts including the daily comedy podcast 'Daily Hannes' and the weekly show 'Atze - Wat ne Woche'. Additional content offerings include music programming, local news, and advertising services. The station is part of the NRW Lokalradios group alongside Radio Köln, Radio Bonn/Rhein-Sieg, Radio Leverkusen, Radio Berg, Radio Euskirchen, and Radio Rur.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Radio Erft Live Radio Local FM/UKW radio broadcast serving the Rhein-Erft-Kreis district with local news, weather, traffic, music, sports, and community programming for regional listeners.
• Radio Erft Mobile App Mobile application for Android (5.0+) and iOS (8.0+) providing livestream access, multiple music channels, podcasts, push notifications, traffic and weather information for on-the-go listeners.
• Radio Erft Alexa Skill
• Webradio Channels
• Daily Hannes Podcast
• Atze - Wat ne Woche Podcast
• Die Streamingtipps Podcast
• Polizeifunk Podcast
• Radio Werbung (Radio Advertising)

Quantifiable outcome

• Reaches hundreds of thousands of listeners daily across 7 stations in the southern Rhineland

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Volksbank Rhein-Erft-KölnminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored content partnership for weekly financial advice program 'Der Finanztipp'. Volksbank provides financial expertise for the program that helps listeners with savings, retirement planning, and credit advice.
• Daniela Bonn ImmobilienminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored content partnership for real estate advice podcast 'Der Immobilien-Talk' covering property purchase, sale, rental, and renovation topics.
• GVG Rhein-ErftminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored content partnership for energy information program 'Energie und Zukunft' that addresses energy topics and consumer questions.
• NRW Lokalradios (Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeven local radio stations in southern Rhineland (Radio Köln, Radio Bonn/Rhein-Sieg, Radio Leverkusen, Radio Erft, Radio Berg, Radio Euskirchen, Radio Rur) operating under shared infrastructure and marketing. Radio Erft is the station for Rhein-Erft-Kreis. Combined they reach hundreds of thousands daily.
• Amazon AlexacoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology integration enabling voice-controlled access to Radio Erft live programming, local news, and music channels via Amazon Echo devices and Fire TV. Over 15 web channels accessible via voice command.
• Deutsche Telekom (Stream-On)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerTelekom Stream-On customers can listen to Radio Erft web streams free of data charges. Partnership provides free streaming for Telekom mobile subscribers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Radio Hamburg: Major private local radio station in Hamburg with a similar ad-supported, multi-platform (FM + app + streaming + podcast) playbook. Comparable business model but operates in a different German metropolitan market.
• Antenne Bayern: Germany's largest private radio station, operating commercially in Bavaria. Comparable in private-commercial, ad-funded, multi-platform local/regional radio model but serving a different geography.

Broad incumbents

• bigFM: Private German radio network with youth-oriented programming across multiple regions. Comparable in commercial, multi-platform local/regional broadcasting and digital extensions, though serving a broader and more national audience.
• WDR: Public broadcaster for North Rhine-Westphalia operating multiple radio channels (WDR 2, WDR 5, 1Live, etc.). A much larger incumbent that competes for the same regional ad budgets and listener attention but operates under a public-service mandate with broader geographic scope.

Direct peers

• Radio Rur: Seventh member of the NRW Lokalradios network, serving the Düren / Rur region. Closely comparable in local news/traffic/weather orientation and ad-supported revenue model.
• Radio Euskirchen: Sister NRW Lokalradios station for the Euskirchen district. Comparable in size, geographic scope and reliance on regional SMB advertising.
• Radio Bonn / Rhein-Sieg: Another NRW Lokalradios station serving Bonn and Rhein-Sieg-Kreis. Shares the same broadcast-plus-app-plus-Alexa stack, sponsored-content playbook and parent network sales infrastructure as Radio Erft.
• Radio Berg: NRW Lokalradios station covering the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis. Operates the same FM-plus-digital hybrid model with shared network-level ad sales, making it a directly comparable local broadcaster.
• Radio Leverkusen: Sister NRW Lokalradios station serving Leverkusen and surrounding municipalities. Closely comparable in scale, audience profile and ad inventory composition.
• Radio Köln: Direct sister station within the NRW Lokalradios network, serving Köln. Operates the same local-radio-plus-digital model targeting an adjacent NRW market, making it the closest comparable for Radio Erft's structure, revenue mix and audience approach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/radioerft
• Instagraminstagram.com/radioerft
• Xx.com/radioerft

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Radio Erft