New plan for Finnish broadcaster YLE: shortwave to be dropped
At its meeting on 6th June 2006, the Administrative Council of Finnish public broadcaster YLE decided to adjust the company's channel structure and profiles and new services. This move relates to the ongoing YLE strategy reform, founded on a customer- and content-based operating model. YLE's strategic objectives were approved by the company's Administrative Council already earlier in the spring
Services to be axed
The following existing channels will be phased out as a consequence of the changes in channel output:
1. The pilot digital radio service YleQ will be closed down at the latest on 31st December 2006.
2. The digital television channel YLE24, comprising mainly news and currentaffairs programmes, will be shut down on 31st May 2007. Capacity released from the channel in digital television's public service multiplex will be used for transmitting the new YLE Extra channel.
3. YLE will focus in future on serving Finns abroad through satellite, mobile and Internet distribution. The company will therefore be discontinuing mediumwave and shortwave broadcasts from Pori in 2007. However, mediumwave broadcasts will still continue on the Santahamina (Helsinki) transmitters in the Baltic Sea area.
(Source: YLE via EBU/R. Netherlands)