Finland - Media



Telephone lines are both state and privately owned, but long-distance service is a state monopoly. In 1997 there were 2.8 million main line telephones in use with an additional 2.1 million mobile cellular phones. Broadcasting is run by Oy Yleisradio Ab, a joint-stock company of which the government owns over 90%, and MTV, a commercial company. Regular television transmission began in 1958. As of 1999 there were 6 AM and 105 FM radio stations and 120 television stations. In 2000, the number of radios was estimated at 1,623 per 1,000 people and the number of television sets at 692. The same year, there were about 396 personal computers for every 1,000 people, with 23 Internet service providers servings 2.27 million customers.

In 2001, there were about 256 newspapers, with 56 dailies. Major newspapers and their daily circulation in 2002 were the following:

Finland

NEWSPAPER ORIENTATION CIRCULATION
Helsingen Sanomat (Helsinki) Independent 472,600
Ilta-Sanomat (Helsinki) Independent 218,100
Aamulehti (Tampere) Conservative 132,900
Turun Sanomat (Turku) Independent 113,400
Iltalehti (Helsinki) NA 101,980
Kaleva (Oulu) Independent 83,800
Kauppalehti (Helsinki) NA 80,000
Keskisuomalainen (Jyväskylä) Center Party 79,200
Hufvudstadbladet (Helsinki; Swedish) Independent 59,200
Satakunnan Kansa (Pori) Conservative 58,000
Kansan Uutiset (Helsinki) Finn. People's
Democratic League 42,400

The leading weekly journals in 1995 were Seura (circulation 276,000) and Apu (254,000).

The broadcast and print media enjoy independence and support from the government, which abides by legally provided free speech and press.

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