Marja Niemi
Yle
The Nordic public service broadcasters have signed a joint agreement on collaboration to increase the quality, quantity and visibility of Nordic drama.
The public service broadcasters – DR in Denmark, NRK in Norway, RUV in Iceland, SVT in Sweden and Yle in Finland – have decided on a common strategy for drama programming. The Nordic Public Service Originals strategy consolidates and significantly increases the amount of collaboration between the public service broadcasters in the production and exchange of drama programmes.
There is demand for more Nordic co-productions than before, and this new kind of collaboration will speed up decision-making on productions. The aim is for each company to have exclusive rights for twelve months to screen Nordic drama.
“Drama programming that reflects Nordic identity, culture, society and everyday life really gets to the core of this public service. This is also a genuine and characteristic promise to our audiences that sets us apart from other content providers”, says Marit af Björkesten, who is chairperson of the Nordvision collaborative venture between the five public service broadcasters.
Another aim of the joint strategy of the five Nordic broadcasting companies is to make Nordic drama more competitive. With the continuing rise of international streaming services, American offerings are more widely available than ever before.
“The goal is to make the Nordic public service broadcasters known all throughout the region as the home of the very best Nordic drama. The outcome of this increased collaboration will be a broader offering of Nordic drama for viewers. For the creators of Finnish drama, this means more possibilities for Nordic co-productions”, says head of Yle Drama Jarmo Lampela.
Over the past few years, Nordic public service broadcasting companies have won international recognition for their drama productions above all else. Quality, distinctiveness and a strong ambition to provide unmatched public service have become the hallmarks of the Nordic drama produced by the public broadcasting companies.
More information:
Marit af Björkesten, Acting Editor-in-Chief and Director of News and Current Affairs, Yle / Chairperson, Nordvision, tel. +358 50 373 8979
Jarmo Lampela, Head of Yle Drama, tel. +358 50 545 2027
