Sender: Yle’s mission is to provide stimulating entertainment greater than one kind

Entertainment is part of the mission of broadcasting companies across Europe. For example, the British public service company “BBC” has had a mission to “inform, educate and entertain” for more than a hundred years. In the same way, Yle Law states that Yle must provide stimulating entertainment to Finns. We do this on a scale that no other media company in the country can match: music shows on radio, quizzes on TV and comedy podcasts at Yle Arena are just a few examples.

Mertsola and Lundqvist chose the reality genre as an example of content that could be left to commercial media. Reality is a form of storytelling in which Yle can – in much the same way as in documentaries and discussion programmes – address and increase understanding of difficult topics as well, for example the pressure of young women’s appearance. But Yle’s mission to provide stimulating entertainment is bigger than one kind: it plays an important role in ensuring well-being and has kept our country resilient, for example during a social isolation pandemic.

The book further notes that “much of Yle’s entertainment content is foreign productions”. If by this Mertsola and Lundqvist mean Scandinavian drama series, Yle Teema documentaries or British nature shows, not only are they not only markedly different from commercial media shows, but they are really cost-effective public service content that is highly appreciated by Finns.

Yle’s management has not and will not “stare blindly at viewing figures”. This is thanks to Yle’s unique mission: to bring content to all Finns – on an equal footing. This includes not only content for minorities and special groups who will never be able to compete with viewers, but also for all Finns who want to enjoy diverse and interesting shows. Broadband is a prerequisite for the operation of a public service.

Jerry Norminen Communications and Brand Manager, Yle