What's rockin' on your radio?

In my car I have six pre-set radio stations - EinsLive, BFBS, Funkhaus Europa, Radio-Köln, Big FM and KölnCampus.  The majority are run by big corporations, make huge advertising revenues and play back to back main stream pop.  And who do I find myself tuning into the most? KölnCampus - a radio station run by students for students, with amateur DJ's, stilted interviews, and a daily update on what's being served in the Uni canteen.   What I like about it is the music - you never know what you’re going to hear, from hip-hop, electronic and experimental broken beats, to folk, rock, blues, motown and soul.  Every now and then they'll play something that gives you goose-bumps because it's so good and you haven't heard it in so long.  Check out the "Frührausch" show (8-10am) for some really great, mixed music, and the "NachDurst" show for a different host - but more great tunes.  Another radio station you should check out is Funkhaus Europa - they play music from around the world, one minute you'll be bopping to a Bossa-Nova, the next it's Klesmer-rap from Israel.  They also have international programmes, with an English news show in the evening and throughout the day stories about International people living and working in Germany. If you're home sick and don't speak German - BFBS is for you.  Great presenters, British humour and the latest music from the UK - it's an army station that is broadcast all around the forces world - but the German team is based here and knows how to make listeners feel at home.  I will say one thing for the biggest commercial radio station in NRW - EinsLive, and that's Plan-B.  Their 8pm show is fantastic, there aren't many mainstream stations who will play Gram Parsons, Denver Mexicans, De La Soul and then The Who back-to back in one show.  And then there's Mike-Lit who hosts EinsLive Clubbing - of course you'll have to understand German to "get" his humour - but give him a go - he's a keeper. Happy Listening.

Eins Live: 87.60 or 102.40 MHz
www.einslive.de

Funkhaus Europa: 103.3 MHz
www.funkhauseuropa.de

BFBS Germany: 96.5 MHz
www.bfbs-radio.com

Kölncampus: 100.0 MHz
www.koelncampus.com