The history of Saarland Radio is closely linked to the history of Saarland, as an independent island between Germany and France.

Broadcasting in the Saarland began in 1929, under the League of Nations mandate. In 1935, when the Saar rejoined Germany, Joseph Goebbels's Propagandaministerium established the Reichssender Saarbrücken, under the control of the Reichs-Rundfunk GmbH Berlin.