In Finland, Yle CEO says company has shrunk by 15%
In Finland, media company Yle is marking its 100th anniversary. Its CEO, Marit af Björkesten, said that despite its savings programme, the broadcaster is doing well, and claims that it is constantly expanding do not correspond to reality. According to her, Yle has shrunk by 15%.
As YLE News reports, government pressure to cut spending has already reduced Yle's funding, while discussion continues over a possible limitation of the broadcaster's remit. The savings programme will remain in effect after the elections and until 2030. Af Björkesten said that the most difficult decisions are already behind them, although the company is still operating in savings mode.
Reductions and investments in content
Over the past 10–20 years, Yle has had 600 fewer person-years of work, while its premises and amount of equipment have been reduced by 25%. According to the CEO, the company is constantly improving its operational efficiency in order to direct funds toward development and content creation.
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Yle also spends more than €100 million on Finland's creative sector through procurement from the production industry. Af Björkesten stressed the need to invest in media, calling reliable media a prerequisite for economic growth. She also noted that Yle's news has one of the highest levels of trust in the world.
Youth, TikTok and artificial intelligence
Separately, Yle's CEO called fake news a major threat associated with the development of artificial intelligence. According to her, more than half of Finnish teenagers aged 13 to 18 consider TikTok their most important source of media information. Therefore, Yle considers it important to be present on the platform with content for young people.
Yle has established a verification team and is also preparing educational content to develop media literacy in the field of artificial intelligence. Af Björkesten stressed that it is important for the broadcaster to ensure that there are no fake images and videos in the media. In her view, media are heavily regulated, while global technology platforms are not regulated, and Finnish media must continue to be available on key devices.
