Video didn’t kill the radio star – it was the lack of funding, streaming, institutional support and a shifting political climate. Earlier this summer, community radio station Refuge Worldwide announced it urgently needed public financial support to continue operating. Further afield, Cologne-based station COSMO is also facing closure. These grassroots broadcasters play a vital role in sustaining vibrant, diverse independent music scenes and the wider cultural landscape.
Protecting grassroots radio means preserving the city’s unique spirit and the voices that keep its culture alive.
It’s a familiar struggle for many Berlin radio stations. In 2019, the city lost the much-loved Berlin Community Radio. Over recent years, it also said goodbye to CCTV Radio, multicult.fm and KCRW Berlin: all independent platforms that served the city’s international community. But these stations did more than support minority or diasporic audiences. multicult.fm offered multilingual programming and reminded Berlin there was more to life than techno and pop. Berlin Community Radio, meanwhile, gave a voice to the underground. More than any other outlet, it helped define the city’s scene, championing new and experimental sounds. Without these stations, independent and community voices have been lost.
Co-founded by George Patrick and Richard Akingbehin in 2015, Refuge Worldwide has become a cultural institution that reflects Berlin’s growing and diverse community. Its schedule features a wide range of international genres, topics and voices. Beyond broadcasting, the team runs community workshops, events, DJ tutorials and podcast classes – giving back wherever possible. Based out of Oona Bar on Weserstraße, the station has cited rising costs and cuts to public funding as key factors behind its financial difficulties. In response, Refuge will close its Weserstraße space, centralise its operations and launch a crowdfunding campaign to stay on air.
COSMO is a multi-language station produced collaboratively by public broadcasters in Cologne, Bremen and Berlin-Brandenburg, with programming that centres on young queer and BIPoC listeners while embracing broader multicultural audiences. Amid a series of cuts affecting public radio across Germany, plans were made to axe or scale back COSMO’s broadcast. A public petition rallied support and initially seemed to secure the station’s future, until the Berlin-Brandenburg Broadcasting (rbb) threatened to pull the channel from its programming.
Without these stations, independent and community voices have been lost.
At the time of writing, the futures of both radio stations remain uncertain. They are victims of widespread cuts to culture affecting the arts nationally. Losing these stations would be an even heavier blow because of the communities they serve.
Radio remains a vital pillar for society, helping us explore our identities and understand those around us. It supports independent culture and music in ways mainstream media cannot, fostering connection and creativity across Berlin’s diverse population. At a time of growing economic challenges and cultural funding cuts, we cannot afford to lose these essential platforms. Protecting grassroots radio means preserving the city’s unique spirit and the voices that keep its culture alive. So if you haven’t donated to Refuge’s cause, what’s stopping you?
