, in Bertramstraße, Frankfurt am Main, is home to HR's principal radio and television studios. There are additional radio and television studios in Kassel and Wiesbaden, as well as further radio studios in Darmstadt, Fulda, and Gießen. HR also maintains offices in Berlin, Eltville, Erbach, Limburg an der Lahn, and Marburg. In 2000, HR opened studios on the 53rd floor of the Main Tower in Frankfurt city centre. The corporation is also responsible for the management of ARD's studios in Madrid and Prague.
Finance
are currently €17.50 per month. Since 2013, every household has been liable for this fee, whether or not there are radio or TV receivers present. The fee is collected by Beitragsservice von ARD, ZDF und Deutschlandradio.
Programming
Television
HR contributes to the programming of the main German public-service broadcasting channel Das Erste, and also to that of the associated 3sat, ARTE, KI.KA, and Phoenix. Like other regional public broadcasting corporations in Germany, HR has its own, regional "channel three". From 1964 until 1983 this was known as Das Hessisches Fernsehprogramm. It was then rebaptized as Hessen Drei, before it was rebaptized hessen fernsehen in 1997. Most recently, in October 2004 the channel became hr-fernsehen. Since December 2013 the channel has also been available in HDTV.
Radio
hr1
plays almost exclusively middle of the road and easy listening music, chiefly from the 1965 to 1985 era, and is aimed at a 40- to 60-year-old demographic. Until 2004 hr1 had been HR's main information channel.
is a 24-hour news radio. On weekday daytime, it provides rolling news, with bulletins every 20 minutes. At all other times, it broadcasts special in-depth-reports on a range of topics, alongside a quick news summary every half-hour.
YOU FM
is HR's music programme for young people. It has also become famous outside of Hesse and Germany for its Saturday night techno music transmissions.
Former radio channels
hr-klassik – classical music programme
hr XXL – independent music programme for young people
hr-chronos – information programme
hr-skyline – business-oriented information programme
Musical organizations
Hessischer Rundfunk maintains two resident ensembles:
hr-Sinfonieorchester – Founded in 1929 by HR's predecessor, the Südwestdeutsche Rundfunkdienst, the orchestra is an internationally renowned ensemble. Its 112 musicians perform the whole spectrum of symphonic music dating from the Baroque era to the present day, initiating various new forms of presentation as well as undertaking experimental projects. Although the orchestra is based in Frankfurt, working principally in the German State of Hesse, it is a frequent guest at important international festivals and regularly tours the world. Since the 2014/2015 season Andrés Orozco-Estrada has been the orchestra's chief conductor. Important predecessors have included Dean Dixon, Eliahu Inbal, Dmitri Kitayenko, Hugh Wolff, and Paavo Järvi.
hr-Bigband – The Frankfurt Radio Big Band started life in 1946 as the Radio Frankfurt Dance Orchestra. Since the 1970s it has developed into a jazz big band with the focus on concerts. The Frankfurt Radio Big Band plays approximately 50 concerts every year, performing in every possible jazz-style as well as crossing over into classic, pop, ethno-, and electronic music. After three years as the band's artist in residence, Jim McNeely assumed the position of chief conductor in 2011.
