Radio Blau
Radio Blau is a non-commercial community radio station in Leipzig, Germany, operated by registered non-profit Radio-Verein Leipzig e.V. since 1990. It broadcasts on three FM frequencies and online, producing news, music, and cultural programming through a volunteer model funded by institutional grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersLeipzig, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Radio Blau does
Radio Blau is a non-commercial community radio station serving Leipzig, Germany, operated under the registered non-profit association Radio-Verein Leipzig e.V., which was founded in 1990. The station broadcasts on three FM frequencies — 99.2, 94.4, and 89.2 MHz — covering Leipzig and surrounding areas, and provides live streaming via radioblau.hoerradar.de and stream.radioblau.de for global online access. Programming is produced primarily by volunteers and comprises over 50 regular shows spanning local news, cultural programming, music, multilingual content, and specialized segments for marginalized communities.
The station's product portfolio includes live FM broadcasting; on-demand replay through the freie-radios.net archive; weekday news magazines (Morgenmagazin and Aktuell); English-language international news (Democracy Now!); radio production workshops (Schnittkurs, Technikkurs, Kompaktkurs, and the introductory 'Erste Dosis Blau' session); location-based audio tours via the radio aporee smartphone app (Audiowalks); a live studio concert series (Studiokonzerte); and dedicated inclusion projects — Radio Inklusive (people with and without disabilities), Stimme erfahren (women and TIAN persons over 55), and Stimmpost (media literacy around migration and health policy). Underlying technology is conventional broadcast infrastructure combined with online streaming, podcast RSS distribution, and mobile-app-based audio experiences.
The business model is community-led and grant-funded rather than revenue-generating. Participation in radio making, workshops, and listening is free. Revenue streams are institutional and project-specific grants (Stadt Leipzig from 2020; Aktion Mensch; Sächsische Landesmedienanstalt; Bundesministerium für Familien, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend; Kulturamt Leipzig; Landkreis Nordsachsen), voluntary donations via bank transfer, and modest merchandise sales of branded T-shirts. Customer segments include the Leipzig general public seeking non-commercial media, marginalized groups (FLINTA* persons, migrants, refugees, people with disabilities), and local cultural organizations using the station as a broadcast platform for events and initiatives.
Radio Blau firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Radio Blau
- Legal name
- Radio-Verein Leipzig e.V.
- Website
- https://radioblau.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Radio Blau is a non-commercial community radio station in Leipzig, Germany, operated by registered non-profit Radio-Verein Leipzig e.V. since 1990. It broadcasts on three FM frequencies and online, producing news, music, and cultural programming through a volunteer model funded by institutional grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Radio Blau industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Radio Broadcasting
- NAICS
- Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)
- SIC
- Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community/Low-Power Nonprofit Radio (LPFM/Community Radio) (MPABADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Public/Community Local Stations (PBS Member Stations, Community Radio, LPFM) (MPABACAG)
Keywords
Where Radio Blau is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Leipzig
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Radio Blau business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Institutional Funding: Starting in 2020, Radio Blau receives institutional funding from the city of Leipzig (Stadt Leipzig) for sociocultural work, including support for a half additional position and honorarium to meet increased demand from Leipzig's club and cultural scene.
- Donations: Radio Blau accepts donations of any size, payable in person at their office or via bank transfer (DE80 8605 5592 1100 7639 84, Sparkasse Leipzig). Receipts available upon request.
- Project Funding: Various projects receive dedicated funding from external sources: Sächsische Landesmedienanstalt funds studiokonzerte and Aktuell editorial; Aktion Mensch funds Radio Inklusive; Bundesministerium für Familien, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend funded Doppelstunde project; Kulturamt Leipzig funded RADIOWERKnordSTAdTT; Landkreis Nordsachsen funded Islam off sächssch project.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded T-shirts featuring Radio Blau designs, available during office hours.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free participation in radio making |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Radio Blau product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Radio Blau is a free, non-commercial community radio station broadcasting on three FM frequencies (99.2, 94.4, and 89.2 MHz) and online, offering news, music, cultural programming, audio walks, studio concerts, and media education workshops to the Leipzig community. The station is operated by the registered non-profit association Radio-Verein Leipzig e.V. and provides inclusive media projects for marginalized groups.
Product overview
Radio Blau is a community radio station (Freies Radio) serving Leipzig, operating as a single unified broadcast platform with multiple program offerings and community engagement services. The core product is live FM radio broadcasting on three frequencies plus internet streaming, supplemented by on-demand replay capabilities and a permanent podcast archive. Programming is organized into regular shows including morning (Morgenmagazin) and evening (Aktuell) news magazines, English-language news (Democracy Now!), and numerous specialized music and cultural programs. The station offers educational workshops teaching radio production skills (Schnittkurs, Technikkurs, Erste Dosis), special projects targeting underrepresented groups (Radio Inklusive for people with disabilities, Stimme erfahren for women and TIAN persons over 55), and media literacy initiatives like Stimmpost. Additional services include audiowalks using smartphone apps and live studio concerts featuring avant-garde musicians.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Live Radio Broadcast Free, non-commercial live FM and online broadcast of news, music, and cultural programming for Leipzig-area listeners, operated by Radio-Verein Leipzig e.V.
- On-Demand Listening (Nachhören) Audio archive and podcast service allowing listeners to access previously broadcast shows and programs on demand.
- Radio Workshops Free media education workshops teaching radio production, audio editing, and broadcasting skills to community participants.
- Audiowalks Audio-guided walks combining location-based listening experiences with community-curated audio content.
- Studiokonzerte (Studio Concerts) Live music performances recorded and broadcast from the station's studio, featuring local and independent artists.
- Radio Inklusive Inclusive radio project providing broadcasting participation opportunities for people with disabilities and other marginalized groups.
- Stimme erfahren Voice-empowerment project offering community members opportunities to develop vocal and broadcasting skills.
- Stimmpost Community voice-mail project enabling listeners to contribute audio messages and content to the station.
Quantifiable outcome
- Free participation model enabling media production for all without cost barriers
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Radio Blau
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Radio Blau technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature4 records
Radio Blau partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- DeutschlandfunkminorDeutschlandfunk produced a report on Radio Blau's 'Radio Inklusive' project, accompanying the team for several weeks to document inclusive radio making.
- ADFC Leipzig (Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club)minorJointly organized panel discussion on bicycle and pedestrian traffic for the 2019 municipal elections, combining Radio Blau's broadcasting with ADFC's cycling advocacy.
- Gegenkino Film FestivalminorRadio Blau serves as media partner for the international film festival, covering events and providing behind-the-scenes content.
- Radio X FrankfurtcoreCooperation with Radio X Frankfurt for World Radio Day 2019. The partnership involved program exchange where one show was broadcast on the partner station and vice versa, raising awareness for non-commercial independent radio stations globally.
- Orient-Netzwerk e.V.minorCooperation partner for the 'Islam off sächssch' project, funded by Landkreis Nordsachsen, explaining Islam in Saxon dialect.
- Freies Radio Netzwerk (Bundesverband Freier Radios)coreMember of the national association of free (non-commercial community) radio stations, participating in program exchanges and collective advocacy.
- Hörfunk- und Projektwerkstatt Leipzig e.V.coreProject partner for 'Radio Inklusive' project. The association hosts the inclusive radio editorial team and provides media education expertise. Radio Blau transferred the project to this partner while maintaining collaboration.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Radio Blau competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lora München: Community free radio in Munich broadcasting on 92.4 MHz under the same non-commercial German model. Comparable volunteer-led operations and Bund freier Radios affiliation.
- Radio FSK: Free radio in Hamburg offering volunteer-produced, non-commercial programming on FM and online. Closely comparable in mission, volunteer structure, and programming breadth to Radio Blau.
- Freies Sender Kombinat: Free community radio in Hamburg with FM license, volunteer programming, and non-commercial mission. Closely comparable in operations, scale, and audience approach.
- Freies Radio Kassel: Non-commercial community radio in Kassel with FM license and volunteer-produced programming. Same German Freies Radio regulatory and operational model as Radio Blau.
- Radio T (Erfurt): Free community radio in Erfurt, Thuringia, operating under the same non-commercial licensed model. Comparable volunteer-led programming and Bund freier Radios membership.
- Radio Corax: Non-commercial free radio based in Halle (Saxony-Anhalt) serving a similar community-radio audience with FM and online streaming. Direct geographic and structural peer within the same central-German free radio ecosystem.
- Pi Radio: Berlin-based non-commercial free radio with FM license and volunteer programming model. Directly comparable in size, license type, and community-driven operations.
- Radio Dreyeckland: Non-commercial community radio in Freiburg operating since the late 1970s under the same German Freies Radio tradition. Comparable volunteer-driven programming model and regulatory framework.
- Radio X Frankfurt: Non-commercial community radio in Frankfurt operating under the same Freies Radio model in Germany. Radio Blau explicitly partnered with Radio X for World Radio Day 2019, confirming directly comparable operations, audience, and regulatory framework.
Broad incumbents
- Deutschlandfunk: Germany's national public broadcaster covering news and culture with vastly larger scale and budget. Overlaps with Radio Blau's mission of non-commercial, public-interest audio journalism and even produced a documentary on Radio Blau's inclusive programming.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Radio Blau social profiles
Digital presenceRadio Blau financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Radio Blau leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Radio Blau funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Radio Blau M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Radio Blau
What does Radio Blau do?
Radio Blau is a free, non-commercial community radio station broadcasting on three FM frequencies (99.2, 94.4, and 89.2 MHz) and online, offering news, music, cultural programming, audio walks, studio concerts, and media education workshops to the Leipzig community. The station is operated by the registered non-profit association Radio-Verein Leipzig e.V. and provides inclusive media projects for marginalized groups.
Is Radio Blau a public or private company?
Radio Blau is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Radio Blau founded?
Radio Blau was founded in 1990. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Radio Blau based?
Radio Blau is headquartered in Leipzig, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Radio Blau make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Institutional Funding is the primary driver. The others are donations, project Funding and merchandise Sales.
Who are Radio Blau's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lora München, Radio FSK, Freies Sender Kombinat, Freies Radio Kassel, Radio T (Erfurt), Radio Corax, Pi Radio, Radio Dreyeckland and Radio X Frankfurt. Deutschlandfunk is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Radio Blau have an API?
No public API is recorded for Radio Blau.
What industry is Radio Blau in?
Radio Blau's product category is Community Radio Broadcasting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABADAE, Community/Low-Power Nonprofit Radio (LPFM/Community Radio), with a secondary code of MPABACAG, Public/Community Local Stations (PBS Member Stations, Community Radio, LPFM). Its NAICS code is 516110 and its SIC code is 4832.