EUPEN, Belgium — On Oct. 1, 1945, Belgium’s first German-language radio program was aired as “ELA — Emissions en langue Allemande” (“Broadcasts in German”) from the iconic Flagey Square studios in Brussels, then home to Belgium’s national broadcaster. What started as a 30-minute daily broadcast has evolved into today’s BRF, offering three radio channels, a TV channel, the online platform brf.be and social media.
In 1964, the station was renamed Belgische Hör- und Fernsehfunk (BHF). It became Belgische Rundfunk (BRF) in 1977, two years after the opening of the station’s regional studio in Eupen. In 1983, BRF opened a regional studio in St. Vith — the second major town, after Eupen, in Belgium’s German-speaking community. The broadcaster’s editorial team relocated from Brussels to Eupen, where, in 1995, the station opened its broadcast center. Today, BRF operates studios in Eupen, St. Vith and Brussels.
With the launch of 100.5 Das HitRadio in October 1998, BRF entered the commercial radio market alongside German Radio Salü, serving Euregio Meuse-Rhine, a cross-border region spanning parts of Belgium, Netherlands and Germany. BRF stopped participating in DAS HitRadio in 2009.
In 2001, BRF launched BRF1 and BRF2 — separate FM channels offering pop-rock and folk music, respectively — and Deutschlandfunk-BRF, produced in conjunction with Germany’s state broadcaster Deutschlandfunk, which served the Brussels metropolitan area, broadcasting on 95.2 MHz FM. Today, the station’s radio channels are available online and on DAB+.
Festive program
To mark its 80th anniversary, BRF has launched a special program that begins with the release of part of its archive in digital format, alongside an exhibition at its Eupen headquarters showcasing a collection of vinyl records that reflect 80 years of radio.
Alongside classical, jazz and rock concerts in Eupen and St. Vith, hosted by BRF 1, and an “open studio” day, both BRF1 and BRF2 have scheduled the series “80 Jahre BRF — Eine Zeitreise durch unser Archiv” (“80 years of BRF — A journey through time in the BRF archives”).
“Together with our users, we want to look back on 80 years of radio and television in East Belgium,” commented BRF’s Director Alain Kniebs. “As the voice of German-speaking Belgians, BRF has shaped our community since the post-war period like no other institution in the country. Today, we continue to connect people with our content, providing support and guidance. In short, we create community in an increasingly complex world. Eighty years of BRF is a milestone, but above all a mission to continuously develop our public service broadcasting and our digital offerings — always close to the people and their needs.”
Based in Antwerp, Belgium, the author began hosting a weekly program at a local radio station in 1980. He then joined the Dutch-language national broadcaster VRT as a reporter and music programmer. He has worked as a freelance writer for various publications, including national press, industry publications and magazines since 1985.
This story originally appeared in the September/October 2025 edition of RedTech Magazine.
These stories might interest you
Belgian royals mark BRF’s 80th anniversary
