Switzerland Radio Fritz Ernst (b/w photo)

Fritz Ernst, the first director of Radio DRS, died in January 1966 at the age of 97. He managed the fortunes of the German-Swiss Radios from 1965 until his retirement in 1972. Ernst died on Tuesday, August 31, according to the management of Radio DRS on Wednesday, September 8, 2004. Born on 8 July 1907 in Basel, Ernst had been head of the Radio Studio Basel since 1950, before being elected the first DRS radio director in the course of the SRG reorganization. His term of office includes the creation of a new program structure, the reorganization of various program departments and the strengthening of the intelligence service. Ernst first worked as a primary school teacher and received his doctorate in music history in 1945 with a dissertation. He was an active member of the Basel Chamber Orchestra.