On April 1, 1923, Radio Hekaphon went on air with a test broadcast on the site that is now home to the Brigittenau District Museum, which at the time was the premises of the telegraph factory Czeija, Nissl & Co. It was the first time the new medium of radio was directed at the general population in Austria. Until then, radio had only been used for military and government purposes. However, the private radio initiative with daily programming did not last long. Just one year later, with the launch of broadcasts by Radio-Verkehrs-AG, the state broadcasting monopoly came into effect.
It was not until the mid-1990s that Austria – one of the last countries in Europe – eased its restrictive media regulations. After long struggles by civil society initiatives and radio pirates, further driven by Austria’s desire to join the EU, private radio broadcasting was allowed nationwide from April 1, 1998, ending the radio monopoly after seventy-five years.
In addition to commercial private stations, non-commercial free radios that emerged from pirate radio initiatives also received official broadcasting frequencies. ORANGE 94.0 – the Free Radio of Vienna – began broadcasting on FM 94.0 on August 17, 1998, and has since enabled interested individuals to learn and produce radio through a participatory media practice – radio for everyone.
Exhibition opening from 17:00
Talks and panel discussion: 18:00 – 20:00
- Opening
Veronika Kaup-Hasler, Vienna City Councillor for Culture
Hannes Derfler, District Head of Brigittenau
Richard Felsleitner, Brigittenau District Museum - Radio Utopias & Dystopias
Ulli Weish, Managing Director of ORANGE 94.0 - 100 Years of Radio in Vienna
Karin Moser, Economic and Social History, University of Vienna - On the Workers’ Radio Movement
Margit Wolfsberger presents the estate of Eva Brunner-Szabo - Radio Il/legal.
Fiona Steinert, radio pirate and ORANGE 94.0 co-founder - Panel Discussion
Media participation and media education as a democratic factor in times of authoritarian shifts? Moderated by Simon INOU
📅 When:
March 30, 2023, from 17:00
📌 Where:
Brigittenau District Museum
Dresdner Straße 79, 1200 Vienna