Valner says ERR needs predictable funding to sustain programming

Estonian public broadcaster ERR is in a broadly good position but lacks the funds to provide all the programming it would like throughout the year, council chair Sulev Valner said on Vikerraadio’s Meediatund programme, according to ERR.

Valner said ERR’s strong position was reflected in audience figures and research: ETV is Estonia’s most-watched television channel, Vikerraadio its most-listened-to radio station, and public trust in ERR is high.

ERR has a budget of roughly 40 million to 50 million euros, compared with more than 500 million euros for Finland’s public broadcaster YLE, Valner said. He noted that ERR operates three television channels, four full-service radio channels and online portals. YLE’s budget is about ten times larger, he said.

Valner said it was not useful simply to ask what ERR could do less of, given the wide expectations placed on public-service media. He also argued that entertainment has a place in public broadcasting when it creates shared experiences and a common information space. Eesti Laul, Eurovision and sporting competitions can bring society together, he said. If smaller countries give up entertainment in their own languages, content producers in other countries will fill part of that shared space.

Valner calls for longer-term funding

Discussing proposed changes to the ERR Act, Valner said the law should provide a longer-term funding outlook. He also said it should reflect changing media habits: rather than describing ERR’s work mainly through television and radio channels, it should take a platform-wide approach.

That change matters for reaching young people, Valner said. ERR should try new ways of working, including using platforms popular with younger audiences, so it can offer them reliable information when they seek it alongside social media.

Valner said the law should set out broad duties and goals while leaving editors room to make independent choices. He acknowledged that the bill would not resolve every issue facing ERR, but said further changes could be considered later and should not delay solutions already prepared.

The council, Valner said, should not interfere in editors’ day-to-day decisions. Its role is to guide ERR strategically and monitor whether it fulfils its duties. He said new expert members Veronika Kalmus, Marek Tamm and Merit Kopli should bring greater expertise and scrutiny to the council’s discussions.