uni'alumni 2016

In addition, the introduction of bachelor’s and mas- ter’s degree programs made it possible to integrate journalism courses into the curriculum. At the Uni- versity of Freiburg’s Center for Key Qualifications, students can take introductory courses in radio, television or online journalism and earn credits for them. It’s even possible to earn credits for work in the student editorial teams. Campus Report, Express-O-Ton, Radio am Puls The University Radio project was launched on the initiative of Rudolf-Werner Dreier, the University of Freiburg’s chief press officer. It all began in 1994, when Dreier applied for a radio frequency for the Universities of Freiburg, Heidelberg, Mannheim, and Karlsruhe. Baden-Württemberg’s State Institute for Communication (LFK) referred the four univer- sities to the radio station that covers the Upper Rhine region: Radio Regenbogen. The universities went on air in 1995 with Campus Report, which is still part of Radio Regenbogen’s program today. Freiburg’s first presenter was Wolfgang Krause, the first director of University Radio and now topic coordinator of uniCROSS. The University Radio’s studio was located in a former French military barracks at the Faculty of Engineering. The team founded an agency called Express-O-Ton, which produced material and made it available free of charge to radio stations across the country. “The reports were broadcast by an average of around ten stations,” remembers Krause. There was also a partnership with the Freiburg University Medical Center: The University Radio was able to hire a young man performing his civilian service to ride his bicycle to the medical center every day and insert a cassette into a tape player connected to the broadcasting system. In this way, patients could listen to the half-hour program Radio am Puls produced by the University Radio by tuning in to the frequency of the state radio station SWR1. “However, the students always wanted their own frequency,” says Dreier. The LFK finally ap- proved his application to establish a learning radio station to exist alongside the commercial stations. The station received the frequency 88.4 and went on air in 2006 under the name echoFM. It was the only university radio station in Germany to broad- cast 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The situation changed completely with the move to the new University Library. Today almost 40 students help out with the university radio station, which is now called uniFM. “The editorial office is a lot busier now,” says Robert Wolf, tutor at uniFM. “The central location is very important. There was recently a demonstration in front of the theater – we went out, held out the microphone, and broad- cast the report shortly afterwards.” Being close to the other students is also useful. “We hear a whole lot about the topics students are thinking about,” reports Ragna Plaehn, head of the uniFM editorial team. “The new UB has given the university a real campus feeling.” In addition, the University Radio now has two newly equipped radio studios. Students learn everything there is to know about editorial work: editing sound tracks, operating a broadcast console, writing a text that is fit for speaking. Those interested in presenting can take a course in speech training with Plaehn. “The course is helpful even for people who just want to make a presenta- tion,” says the managing editor. “If you’ve lost your fear of the microphone, you’re ready for anything.” The Television Apartment In 2004, Dreier and Dr. Franz Leithold, director of the UB Media Center, proposed the idea of The radio studio at the Media Center in the new University Library features high-grade technical equipment. What’s the word on the street? The uniTV team enjoys filming on and around campus. Photo: Baschi Bender 11 Cover Story uni'alumni 2016

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