Thomas Gaitanides Explained

Thomas Gaitanides
Nationality:	German
Occupation:	Radio journalist

Thomas Gaitanides (born 1948) is a German radio journalist.

Gaitanides started his career in the 1970s at the Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation (Bayerischer Rundfunk) in the newly established service channel Bayern 3. At the beginning he moderated the programme for drivers, Gute Fahrt. Later he worked for other programmes like B3-Kurier, Radio-Report or Samstagsclub.

In 2008 Gaitanides became chief editor of the new digital channel Bayern plus. Here he was responsible for the daily programme Das Magazin.

Moreover, Gaitanides was responsible for the BR-Radltour from its beginning in 1990 to 2012. Here he earned his nickname "Mr Radltour".^[1]

Gaitanides retired in 2013.^[2]

Gaitanides published several books about Greece, where his family originally came from.^[3]

In July 2024 Gaitanides was awarded the Bavarian Order of Merit (Bayerischer Verdienstorden).^[4]

Further reading

• Münchener Merkur, 3 December 2014: Thomas Gaitanides: „Das ist der wahre Urlaub!“

References

1. Bayerischer Rundfunk (archive): Thomas Gaitanides (in German)
2. Bayerischer Rundfunk: Thomas Gaitanides geht in den Ruhestand (in German)
3. • Odysseus lebt. Mit vollen Segeln durch die Inselwelt der Ägäis
   • Griechenland. Das Festland. Vom Geheimnis seiner Landschaften (with Thomas David)
4. Münchner Merkur, 24 Juli, 2024: Auszeichnung für BR-Radltour-Erfinder: Thomas Gaitanides aus Schondorf erhält Bayerischen Verdienstorden (Decoration for inventor of the BR-Radltour: Thomas Gaitanides (Schondorf) is awarded the Bavarian Order of Merit) - in German