Scripture Readings on Public Radio

So here's something I found interesting: There are several public radio stations in south-western Germany which are funded by taxpayers. I often listen to SWR2 which has a lot of news and documentary programming, similar to the CBC in Canada and NPR in the U.S. They also play a fair amount of classical music in the morning. I personally think that just about any piece by J.S.Bach is the best music to start the day, but Baroque music in general makes my morning.
In the late afternoon on my drive home, the station usually has some kind of interesting documentary, investigative report, or high-brow political debate. But this week, every day at five minutes before five o'clock, a passage of the Bible is read to mark Advent. Yesterday the messianic prothetic passage in the 11th chapter of Isaiah was read, and today it was the parable of the ten virgins from Matthew 25.
Let's review: the German government is funding Scripture readings on public radio.
Huh? What about the secular Europe we've heard so much about?
Obviously I'm no expert on German culture, but I get the sense that much of the European populace is more comfortable with the influence of Christianity on its history than many in North America. Examples: If there is a Catholic or Lutheran church in town (the two officially, historically recognized denominations in Germany), an official sign on the main road will inform you of the service times. Every day I drive by a prominently-displayed sculpture of the crucifixion in the middle of a town, and have seen numerous plaques with Bible passages in public places. A common way to greet someone - friend or stranger - is "Gruss Gott": God's greetings.        
A popular public spot to take guests for good view of Balingen is Lochen, a high cliff featuring a large cross:

If this was in Canada or the U.S., I expect there would be some organization filing a lawsuit to take it down... and they would probably win. Why is it different here? I can't claim to know for certain, but I think it may have something to do with the fact that history is acknowledged and preserved. Be it old buildings or religious holidays, heritage is not quickly done away with in these parts. Regardless of what individual citizens believe, European history is inextricably intertwined with the history of Christianity - however unpleasant. Even the German language has been influenced more by the Bible translation of Martin Luther than anything else.
These are just my thoughts at this point, coming from a North American perspective. Maybe as time goes by, I'll have some better insights into the role of faith in public life in Germany.
Until then, I confess that I will relish hearing the Bible read on public radio...