The Radio Group

The Radio Group (also known as Radio Group) is a medium-sized, independent German media group headquartered in Frankfurt am Main. It was founded in 2007 by Stephan Schwenk under the name Lokalradio RLP and today operates 19 private radio stations across Germany, employing around 100 people and generating revenue of approximately 8.5 million euros. The group is independent of Germany's largest media conglomerates and focuses on local and regional radio, with its stations typically being market leaders in their broadcast areas. The group's stations are primarily city and regional radios located in Bad Kreuznach, Cottbus, Frankfurt am Main, Homburg, Idar-Oberstein, Kaiserslautern, Koblenz, Landau, Neunkirchen, the Palatinate, Pirmasens, Potsdam, Saarbrücken, Saarlouis, St. Wendel, Trier and Zweibrücken. Their programming centers on local topics, complemented by music, hourly news and weather reports. In addition to its regional stations, the group has launched nationwide and thematic programs such as Radio Germany One (an English-language program) and Radio Holiday, and in 2025 it acquired Antenne NRW. The group finances its offerings mainly through advertising and produces more than 400 campaigns annually. The Radio Group is owned by Stephan Schwenk through Schwenk Medien Holding, which is the sole shareholder of The Radio Group Holding. In February 2026 the holding restructured its leadership: Stephan Nolte was appointed Chief Executive Officer and now leads the company together with Group CEO Tim Lauth, while a family foundation also took a stake in the company. Tim Lauth has served as CEO of the holding since October 2023. The group's headquarters have been located in the Skyline Studios on the roof of the City Gate Tower in Frankfurt am Main since 2019. The Radio Group has faced challenges, including liquidity problems reported in 2014 that led the state media authority to place its stations under observation; a consolidation phase in 2015 restored consistent profitability. It has also been the subject of criticism regarding misleading reporting in the interest of advertisers. The group supports charitable organizations through media services, including SOS Children's Villages, Bread for the World and World Vision.

The Radio Group was founded in 2007 by Stephan Schwenk under the name Lokalradio RLP. Schwenk had held numerous leadership positions in the media sector during the 1980s and 1990s, including editor-in-chief and managing director of several radio and television stations. He was part of the founding team of VIVA TV and developed Spreeradio in Berlin with Wim Thoelke and Peter Bosse. After establishing regional radio stations in Cottbus (2002) and Koblenz (2004), Schwenk obtained further licenses for regional radio stations in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland in 2007. He then founded the Radio Group in the same year as a parent company to handle central tasks. In 2014, media reported liquidity problems of the group, attributed to overly rapid growth. Based on these reports, the Landeszentrale für Medien und Kommunikation (State Media and Communication Authority) placed the Radio Group's stations under observation. Following a consolidation phase in 2015, the Radio Group returned to consistent profitability. In 2019, the headquarters of Radio Group Holding were moved to Frankfurt am Main, located in the Skyline Studios on the roof of the City Gate Tower. The group expanded its portfolio beyond regional stations. On 2 May 2019, Radio Germany One, a nationwide English-language program, began broadcasting in the Berlin-Brandenburg DAB multiplex 7B, with its studio in Frankfurt am Main. In November 2021, its distribution in the Berlin-Brandenburg DAB multiplex ended, and since then it has been distributed only via webstream. On 15 November 2021, Radio Holiday, previously available as a web radio, first went terrestrial in the Saarland DAB multiplex channel 9C. The program was later broadcast via DAB multiplexes in North Rhine-Westphalia (9D), Thuringia (12B) and Berlin-Brandenburg (7B), and also in Dresden (8C) and Leipzig (10A). In Thuringia, the program was switched off again in August 2025. On 1 July 2025, the Radio Group acquired the radio program Antenne NRW, which had been built and developed by the Antenne Bayern Group in North Rhine-Westphalia since 2021. In October 2023, Tim Lauth became CEO of the holding as well as managing director of several participations and member of supervisory boards. In February 2026, The Radio Group Holding GmbH restructured its leadership: Stephan Nolte was appointed Chief Executive Officer and will lead the company together with Group CEO Tim Lauth, while a family foundation took a stake in the company. As of 2026, the group operates 19 private radio stations and reaches around 2.2 million listeners in the widest listener group according to MA 2026 audio II. The group employs around 100 people and generates revenue of 8.5 million euros. It finances its offerings mainly through advertising and produces more than 400 campaigns annually. The Radio Group supports charitable organizations through media services, including SOS Children's Villages, Bread for the World and World Vision. In 2013, the NDR magazine Zapp reported on misleading reporting in the interest of advertisers, citing a fabricated water pipe burst in a department store; the regional television station Rhein-Main TV largely confirmed the company's account, and Antenne Kaiserslautern denied the allegations.

• 2023

  Tim Lauth becomes CEO of the holding (October).

• 2019

  Headquarters moved to Frankfurt am Main (Skyline Studios, City Gate Tower).

• 2015

  Consolidation phase restores consistent profitability.

• 2014

  Media report liquidity problems; state media authority places stations under observation.

• 2013

  NDR magazine Zapp reports on misleading reporting in the interest of advertisers.

• 2007

  The Radio Group is founded by Stephan Schwenk under the name Lokalradio RLP.

• 2004

  Stephan Schwenk establishes a regional radio station in Koblenz.

• 2002

  Stephan Schwenk establishes a regional radio station in Cottbus.

• Radio Germany One, a nationwide English-language program, launches on DAB+ in Berlin-Brandenburg.

• Radio Holiday begins terrestrial broadcasting in the Saarland DAB multiplex.

• The Radio Group acquires Antenne NRW.

• Stephan Nolte appointed Co-CEO; family foundation takes stake.

Independent, locally focused private radio group with market-leading city stations in Germany.

• Regional radio stations

  19 private radio stations, mostly city radios and market leaders in their broadcast areas.

• Radio Germany One

  Nationwide English-language program launched in 2019, now distributed via webstream.

• Radio Holiday

  Holiday-themed program distributed via DAB+ and webstream.

• Antenne NRW

  Radio program acquired in 2025, previously developed by Antenne Bayern Group.

1. 1The Radio Group - Reichweitenstarke private Radiosenderradiogroup.de
2. 2Radio Group - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
3. 3The Radio Group - Wikidatawikidata.org