Avalik-õiguslik meediaprogramm ja selle auditoorium: Vikerraadio 1990-1997
Date
2005
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Tartu Ülikool
Abstract
Description
The name of the Bachelor thesis: “Public media program and its public:
“Vikerraadio” in 1990 – 1997”
The aim of the thesis is to describe the program reforms and structural changes that
took place in Eesti Raadio in 1990-1997, and to analyze the influence of these
changes on the main program of Eesti Raadio “Vikerraadio” program and public.
Before May 1st, 1993, there were four programs in Eesti Raadio (ER):
• Program I: Longer thematic discussions, children’s programs, literary
interludes and radio plays, classical and folk music. The diurnal duration of
the program - 17,5h;
• Program II: “Vikerraadio”: the main focus is on information, in addition youth
programs, sports, entertainment, and popular music are broadcasted. The
diurnal duration of the program - 20,5h;
• Program III: foreign program. The diurnal duration of the program - 6,5h;
• Program IV: program in Russian. The diurnal duration of the program - 18h.
Eesti Raadio’s Program II, “Vikerraadio”, was in comparison with Program I more
entertaining and youthful in its selection of music, as well as discussion topics. At the
same time, it served as an alternative to Program I. According to Peeter Sookruus (the
general director of ER in 1990-1992) the program of ‘Vikerraadio’ was aimed at
people with more energetic and active attitudes to life.
All the listeners’ favorite programs before the year 1993 were in the program of
“Vikerraadio”.
In December 1992, Herkki Haldre was elected to general director of ER. His plan to
establish a self-financing commercial radio station instead of ‘Vikerraadio, in order to sell it later, was authorized by Riigikogu. From May 1st, 1993, the programs of Eesti
Raadio were on the air in the renewed form:
• Program I (cultural program, Program I + “Vikerraadio”. The diurnal
duration of the program - 20,5h);
• Raadio 2 (self-financing entertaining program. The diurnal duration of the
program - 24h);
• Raadio 4 (program in Russian. The diurnal duration of the program - 18h);
• Program III (program transmitting foreign broadcasts. The diurnal duration
of the program - 6,5h).
From May 1st, six subdivisions started to work in Eesti Raadio with new managers:
News program main editorial, music program main editorial, sports main editorial,
society’s main editorial, and pastime main editorial..
During the reform of 1993, determined by the ER personnel directives, there were
245 employees, whose work agreements were terminated or they were released from
their positions. At the same time, 113 new people were employed either non-staff or
as second job. The non-staff employees went to work at “Raadio 2” and “Raadio 4”.
In the renewed Program I, with which “Vikerraadio” was also united, there were only
few formerly popular programs that were broadcast after the May 1st. Three
programs were transferred to the new “Raadio 2”. In the new Program I, the music
and programs of two separate program networks were integrated, which turned the
program into an eclectic one, lacking a format.
However, the privatization of “Raadio 2” was not carried out, because in 1994 Andres
Tarand became the Prime Minister of the new government, and consequently the
priorities changed in Eesti Raadio. Since the new channel had justified itself among
the listeners as well as financially, then according to the radio managers abandoning
what was established was not reasonable.
The other important reason for the program reform, named by the radio managers,
was to modernize the work management for the journalists and editors.
On the 1st of April, 1995, “Klassikaraadi”, a radio station with and elitist cultural
program, was put on air instead of Program III. This also changed the principles of
Program I. Starting from the 1st of June, Program I went over to summer program,
which was named “Vikerraadio” after the Program II. The new program changed in
comparison with the former program I into more topical and operative. From the
former program where the broadcasts were clearly mixed together, “Vikerraadio”
switched over to the so-called “sliding” program, in which the whole day was divided
into different blocks. Most of the classical music programs were transferred from
Program I to “Klassikaraadio”. The new program “Vikerraadio” started playing
lighter popular music.
According to Ummelas, the slow adaptability of the journalists in ER was the real
obstacle for the achieving the goals of program forming. One of the aims of
“Vikerraadio” program, which was created in 1995, was the immediacy and
topicality. At the same time, according to Ummelas, it was hard to achieve the goal
because the journalists were not prepared. For instance, the director of “Vikerraadio”
was not able to convince the journalists in the necessity of the transmitters, which
enable to go on air outside the radio building.
In the fall of 1995, “Raadio 2” changed its program as well. More talk shows were
integrated into the program.
The target of the program reform was to change the profile of ER programs and to
restore the role and status of a folk radio, beside “Raadio 2” with its enthusiastic
activities, which had been merited with major attention by the former radio work.
“Raadio 2” became popular among the youth, but concurrently it was listened to a fair
amount of middle-aged public, to whom the ER Program I was aimed at. It might be
concluded that, although the aim of the reforms of 1995 was foremost to orient the
ER programs more clearly to specific target groups, then in reality two of ER radio
stations were aiming at the same target group – the middle-aged listeners.
Ummelas mentions tight budget as one of the important triggers of the reform. “ We
started implementing the broadcast slide principle, to start saving money on it /--/.
Not as much for the development of the program.”
On the 1st of April, 1996, a new change in the structure took place, which was the
basis of forming the administrative program bureau and four content editorials: sports
editorial, music editorial, social editorial, cultural editorial. In the frames of the new
structural change, work agreements were terminated with 164 employees in 1995, and
in 1996 with 120 employees (all together 284 employees). Whereas officially it was
prohibited to sell commercial time in “Vikerraadis”, several editors in “Vikerraadio”
managed to acquire sponsoring contracts to their programs. On the one hand, those
helped to manage ER, on the other hand they also secured the editor with a job,
because in case of redundancy, the radio station would have lost the money gained
from the sponsoring contracts.
The redundancy of the employees was, according to the radio managers, determined
by the tight budget, but the other factor was also the changed program policy.
Concurrently, more than a hundred people were employed in these years, either non-
staff or as second job, along with the employees declared redundant.
All in all, according to the ER personnel directives, in the period of 1993-1997 the
work agreements of 682 employees were either terminated or they were released from
office.
Factors taken into account in the redundancy: adaptability with new circumstances,
which required fast-paced and more flexible attitude from the editors; the redundancy
was mostly proceeded among the pensioners, because declaring them redundant was
easier; the listeners’ rating of the broadcast and the resonance of the topics in the
society were based on; the positions, which were not needed in the renewed structure
were declared redundant.
Changes in the public:
In April, before the May 1st reform, the listeners of Eesti Raadio were divided
according to the survey by Baltic Media Facts as follows: ”Vikerraadio” was listened by Estonians at least 15 minutes per week 81%, Program I respectively 50%, Program
III 9% and Program IV 2%.
The results of the survey of 1995, carried out before the new reform show, that
listening to program I and “Raadio 2” (on the frequency of the former “Vikerraadio”)
has leveled. Whereas in 1993 the listening of Program I and “Vikerraadio” differed
by 31 %, then by 1995 the difference had decreased to 2%. In the period of the
survey, program I was listened to at least 15 minutes per day by 52 % of Estonians,
the new “Raadio 2” by 54 % of the Estonian public.
“Vikerraadio” was mainly listened to by 50-year-old listeners and over, and “Raadio
2” by the middle-aged people and younger.
The auditorium survey, carried out immediately after the program reform of 1995,
shows that listening to “Raadio 2” among Estonians is surpassed by the listening of
the former Program I by 14%. Whereas in the time period of March 15th – April 11th,
1995, Program I was listened by 52% and “Raadio 2” by 54% of the Estonians, at
least 15 minutes per day, then only a couple of months later (in the time period of
May 10th to June 6th, 1995) the concurrent percentages are 51 and 65. The latter
percentages remained unchanged also in September - October, 1995, when
“Vikerraadio” had started with its fall program.
As soon as, in the fall of 1996 (7th
to 13th
of October, 1995), according to the market
research company Baltic Media Facts journal-survey, the most widely listened radio
station of Eesti raadio was “Vikerraadio”.
The comparison of the listening of ER programs in the years of 1993-1997 shows that
the public of Program I has changed the least in the given period. It has stayed
between 50 – 52,5% throughout five years (percentage among the Estonians, who
listened to the radio station at least once a week for 15 minutes). Program II of Eesti
Raadio lost a part of its public every year, and “Raadio 2” took over its frequency in
1993. At the end of 1996, “Raadio 2” lost its leader position to “Vikerraadio”, which
had a renewed program. Program II, that is “Klassikaraadio”, has shown the continuous rising trend and stabilizing. The steady public has formed for program IV,
“Raadio 4”.
As the present thesis has proven, the managers of the ER were rushing with structural
reforms and program in 1993-1996, there was a lack of a strategic plan for the public
radio development. The establishing of “Raadio 2” as a public broadcasting program
cannot be recognized, because the main aim of the new radio station was the selling
of commercial time, which cannot be the primary aim of any public broadcasting
program.
Keywords
H Social Sciences (General), bakalaureusetööd, ajakirjandus, raadio, ringhääling, raadiosaated, auditoorium (meedia), Eesti Raadio, Vikerraadio