Radio as a cultural and meeting place - two new projects at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg

With the development of a local radio station that broadcasts throughout Germany via digital streaming, people in Lusatia are to be given the opportunity to create their own radio programmes and digital audio productions - and thus actively participate in the media landscape. They can also obtain a "radio driving licence" and gain further practical experience in Media Pedagogy workshops.

Free radios are non-commercial cultural and meeting places for civil society actors. There is currently no such free radio station in South Brandenburg. To change this, BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg 2024 has launched an initiative for a free radio station. It is now making its expertise in Media Pedagogy and cultural work available to the newly emerging radio community. Marginalised voices in particular are directly addressed as radio makers: The project aims to make their perspectives visible in a self-determined way through the media.

The two transfer projects, led by Professor Stefanie Kiwi Menrath, started at the beginning of 2025. BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg will receive a total of 206,000 euros in funding for both projects.

1. The "Free Radio for Cottbus and Lusatia" project focuses on the establishment of self-developed co-determination and editorial structures, cooperation with cultural institutions and initiatives as well as the regular production and broadcasting of own radio programmes. The programmes can currently be heard on the first Sunday of every month from 5 p.m. via Radiokombinat Brandenburg, DAB+ channel 12D and as a live stream. Free Radio also cooperates with the Media Pedagogy organisation M2B from Cottbus and Radiokombinat Brandenburg. The project runs until the end of 2027 and is funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) and the Ministry of Science, Research and Culture of the State of Brandenburg (MWFK).
2. The "Radioführerschein" project teaches audio technology and journalistic strategies in Media Pedagogy workshops and produces its own radio programmes with various groups from Brandenburg's Lusatia region. The "Radioführerschein" project will run until the end of 2025 and is funded by the Brandenburg Participation Fund.

BTU Vice President for Research and Transfer, Prof. Michael Hübner, emphasises: "The 'Free Radio for Cottbus and Lusatia' and 'Radio Driving Licence' projects offer cultural and digital participation spaces for all citizens of Lusatia. They will sustainably encourage a creative and productive approach to social change in Lusatia."

Further information on the "Initiative for a Free Radio for Cottbus" can be found here. Interested parties are welcome to register for the open editorial meeting on 14.5.25 at menrath(at)b-tu.de.