WebreaderShopNewsletter Tophäfen

Christmas messages70 years of "Greetings on board" from NDR

Pascal Schürmann

 · 28.11.2023

Christmas messages: 70 years of "Greetings on board" from NDRPhoto: YACHT/H.-G. Kiesel
Greetings to seafarers all over the world via shortwave on Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve, the NDR radio programme "Gruß an Bord" will once again be broadcasting messages to seafarers all over the world, as well as greetings from the ship's crews back home. And for the 70th time!

The traditional NDR programme was broadcast for the first time on Christmas Eve 1953 - back then via Norddeich Radio, a maritime radio station in East Frisia. This year, the greetings to seafarers will once again be recorded at two events during the Advent season: on 10 December (second Advent) at the "Kulturspeicher" in Leer and on 17 December (third Advent) at the Hamburg Seamen's Mission "Duckdalben".

Relatives and friends will then have the opportunity to wish their loved ones at sea a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The event in Leer will be presented and accompanied by music from presenters Britta von Lucke and Andreas Kuhnt as well as the Bingumer Shanty Choir. In Hamburg, presenters Birgit Langhammer and Ocke Bandixen will host the programme. Here, the Swedish-South African folk-pop duo Fjarill will provide musical highlights.

There are still places available in the "Duckdalben"; registration at gruss-an-bord@ndr.de. This address can also be used foruntil 8 December letters or greetings will be sent to seafarers all over the world, also as voice mails. These will then be broadcast over the airwaves on Christmas Eve.

When will the Christmas greetings be sent from the ship?

The programme "Gruß an Bord" has enjoyed cult status for years. It was first broadcast on the radio at Christmas 1953, making it one of the oldest radio programmes in the world still in existence.

NDR Info will broadcast the greetings on 24 December from 7 pm to 10 pm. Live streams will be available on NDR Info and NDR Info Spezial. It is also possible to listen to the programme via the NDR radio app.

How do you like this article?

NDR Info can also be received via FM, DAB+ and DVB-S radio, NDR Info Spezial via DAB+ and DVB-S radio.

So that all crews on board - on the seas or in harbours - can receive the traditional broadcast, NDR radio has rented short-wave frequencies especially for this purpose. From 18:00 to 21:00 UTC (19:00 to 22:00 CET), theShortwave over the following frequencies:
6080 kHz: Europe
15770 kHz: Atlantic Northwest
6030 kHz: Atlantic Northeast
13725 kHz: Atlantic South
11650 kHz: Atlantic/Indian Ocean/South Africa
9635 kHz: Indian Ocean

This might also interest you:

Pascal Schürmann

Pascal Schürmann

Editor YACHT

Pascal Schürmann joined YACHT in Hamburg in 2001. As head of copywriting and head of the editorial team, he makes sure that all articles make it into the magazine on time and that they are both informative and entertaining to read. He was born in the Bergisches Land region near Cologne. He learned how to handle the tiller and sheet as a teenager in a touring dinghy on the Sneeker Meer and on a tall ship on the IJsselmeer. During and after his studies, he sailed on the Baltic Sea and in the Mediterranean. As a trained business journalist, he is also responsible for boat financing and yacht insurance reports at YACHT, but also has a soft spot for blue water topics.

Home

Most read in category Special