Fritz Egner: He’s quitting at Bayern 1

Fritz Egner (75) will host his show “Fritz and Hits” on Bayern 1 for the last time in December. As the Bayerischer Rundfunk announced, Egner would say goodbye before Christmas after half a century at the microphone. “In order to avoid greater farewell hype,” he did not want to reveal in advance when his last broadcast would be, the statement says.

The well-known TV and radio presenter came to BR in 1979, where he met his colleagues Thomas Gottschalk (74) and Günther Jauch (68). The music expert thrilled fans and listeners with “Hithouse” and later with his show “Fritz and Hits”, first on Bayern 3 and then on Bayern 1. Fritz Egner is said to have met over 500 stars over the course of his career, spoken to them and passed on his impressions to his listeners . In addition to Rod Stewart, among them were Mick Jagger, James Brown, Madonna, Sting, Phil Collins, Tina Turner, ABBA, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Bob Marley and Michael Jackson.

According to BR, Fritz Egner said at the end of his Bayern 1 era: “I would have liked to have stayed a little longer. But the station has other plans for the broadcast slot. For 45 years I was able to freely design my program and follow my passion, coupled with my duty as a chronicler , pursue – a great privilege that I greatly appreciate.”

Thomas Hinrichs, BR program director for information, said when saying goodbye to the Munich cult presenter: “Fritz Egner not only helped shape Bayern 3 and Bayern 1 for decades, but also conquered the hearts of his listeners and thrilled fans across generations.” With his “passion for music, his deep knowledge and his unmistakable way of meeting the superstars of music history at eye level,” he is unique in the radio world, said Hinrichs, who added: “For many, Fritz Egner was and is not just a presenter and valued colleague, but also a friend. I would like to thank him for his commitment and his great contributions to the BR and wish him all the best for his new phase of life.”

In addition to his radio career, Fritz Egner is also known from television: from 1985 to 1994 he hosted the ARD program “Dingsda”, and later also “The Hidden Camera” on ZDF.