A joint programme from 9am to 4pm
In Germany, three public news stations are set to pool a large part of their airtime. hr INFO (Hessischer Rundfunk), SWR Aktuell (Südwestrundfunk) and AntenneSaar (Saarländischer Rundfunk) will launch a shared programme on 4 January 2027, broadcast on weekdays from 9am to 4pm. A joint trial phase begins on 16 November 2026, Radioszene reports.
The joint programme will be produced in Frankfurt, with an editorial structure spread across several sites and content supplied by hr and SWR. AntenneSaar will carry part of these slots. During the shared hours, the potential audience exceeds five million people across Hesse, Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. According to the broadcasters, cooperation on this scale between ARD news stations is unprecedented.
Opt-outs to keep the regional anchor
The arrangement does not erase local identities. Breakfast shows from 6am to 9am, the 4pm to 7pm slots and the news bulletins remain separate and are produced by each broadcaster to meet regional needs. The hr INFO, SWR Aktuell and AntenneSaar brands are kept, each within its own technical coverage area.
- After 7pm on weekdays, long-form programmes continue to be aired jointly, as they are today.
- From 8pm, the stations take the ARD evening news service, followed by its overnight news service from 10pm.
- At weekends, SR contributes long-form content to the slot that is already shared.
- AntenneSaar keeps its relays of SWR programming, alternating with relays of franceinfo (Radio France) and other partners.
A response to imposed savings
The three broadcasters present the cooperation as a benefit for listeners and a source of synergies. It is also a response to the reform and savings measures under way at ARD and to the conditions set by the amending interstate media treaty (Medienänderungsstaatsvertrag). The stations put forward another argument: in an increasingly mobile world, daily commutes more and more often cross the borders between federal states, which supports news designed for a wider area.
What it means for web radio stations
This model, with a joint daytime programme and local opt-outs at peak listening times, is familiar from commercial radio networks. Seeing public news stations adopt it shows that pooling is becoming a standard tool for running a continuous service on a tight budget. For a web radio, the lesson translates directly: focus staff on the slots where the audience is largest and most local, and share the rest.
Several themed or local web radios could therefore consider co-producing a joint slot, swapping long-form shows or relaying a partner stream overnight, while keeping their own name and sound branding. Streaming makes such set-ups easier, since a stream can be switched or split without any transmitter constraints. Conversely, consolidation among the big players may leave more room for very local and specialised offerings, the natural territory of online radio.
Source : Radioszene