MTV Oy – over 50 years on the air

MTV Oy was established on 29 April 1957. The wonders of television had only just arrived in Finland a few years earlier with the founding of the country’s first commercial TV company. Finland was quick to act in a situation where Europe only had two other commercial TV companies: the UK’s ITV and the Central European RTL.

In its early years MTV offered around ten hours of programming a week. MTV’s programmes were broadcast on the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE’s channels alongside its own programming. The MTV brand became to life and grew to be part of viewers’ lives. It stood out from YLE’s programmes with its individual style in programming, and many of the early TV personalities became household names and part of everyday life in Finland.

A long struggle over the right to broadcast our own news

Over the years MTV became inseparable from the people of Finland. Airtime increased and programmes changed with the times. Finland saw quite a struggle over whether the young rebel commercial channel should get the right to air its own news broadcasts. It was not until 1981 that MTV got its Ten O’Clock News, and Seven O’Clock News appeared on Finnish TV screens in 1990. The first morning TV show in the Nordic countries was broadcast by MTV Oy in 1989.

On 1 January 1993 the company was issued its own operating licence and its programmes were transferred to a new channel called MTV3. Throughout its history MTV3 has always been at the forefront of bringing the latest phenomena to its viewers. It has brought Finns a highly popular teletext channel, the nation's favourite media-maintained website – www.mtv3.fi – and, of course, the first screening of many an international TV phenomenon. The channel’s domestic entertainment and drama have also always been close to Finns' hearts.

For around forty years MTV was in private ownership. In 1998 the merger of MTV Oy and the newspaper group Aamulehti transferred ownership to Alma Media Corporation.

Alma Media strengthened its hold on electronic media in Finland, and Oy Suomen Uutisradio Ab, a radio company that was 74 per cent owned by Alma Media, launched Finland's only nationwide commercial radio station, Radio Nova, in 1997. In 1997 MTV Oy acquired 23.4 per cent of the shares of Sweden’s commercial TV channel, TV4.

Launched on cable in 2000, TVTV! became available on digital and was renamed Subtv in 2002. Subtv has been Finland’s fastest-growing TV channel in recent years and is today called Sub.

MTV MEDIA is a diverse media house for electronic communications

In early 2005 ownership of the company was being sought by many. After many colourful events the company was acquired by the Swedish publisher Bonnier & Bonnier AB and Proventus Industrier AB.

At the same time the concept 'MTV MEDIA’ was launched, acting as an umbrella for the TV channels MTV3 and Subtv and the four pay-TV channels launched at the end of 2006: MTV3 MAX, MTV3 Fakta, MTV3 Leffa and Subtv Juniori, the radio station Radio Nova and a variety of electronic consumer services mainly available online.

Vuonna 2007 Bonnier osti Proventuksen omistamat 50% Nordic Broadcasting Oy:stä, joka puolestaan omistaa sataprosenttisesti MTV MEDIAn.

Quality is all that matters

Despite changes in ownership in recent years, MTV has a strong and proud identity and firm position among the media in Finland. MTV MEDIA offers Finnish audiences the most desired content and brands in electronic communications and entertainment.

- Throughout the five decades, we have always insisted on making sure that our programming is high in quality and appeal and that we are a reliable partner to our advertisers, says CEO of MTV Oy Pekka Karhuvaara.

Most Finns agree that MTV3 provides the best movies, best Finnish and foreign series, best entertainment, most interesting news and an excellent sports output. In recent years Sub has been growing faster than any other TV channel in Finland. Radio Nova is the most listened-to commercial radio station in the country. More than 400,000 Finnish households already subscribe to the MTV MEDIA pay-TV Channel Package. – In 50 years MTV has grown from a small and stubborn tenant of the state broadcaster YLE to a diverse and constantly developing media house, says Karhuvaara.

Milestones in MTV Oy’s 50-year history

1957

• MTV Oy was established as Oy Mainos-TV-Reklam Ab on 29 April.

• 13 August saw the company’s first TV broadcast. All programmes were broadcast live.

• There were 7,500 TV sets in Finland at the end of the year.

• Among the first advertisements were those for soap, stockings, fizzy drinks, tea and cigarettes. All adverts were also broadcast live.

• Pentti Hanski was appointed the company’s first CEO.

1958

• Programme sponsorship was introduced, with a quiz show called 21 sponsored by the pen manufacturer Ballograf-Verken as the first of the kind.

1959

• Viewer surveys started.

• The first proposal to broadcast our own five-minute news was made – and rejected.

1960

• TV advertising research began, using methods including diary research.

• There were 92,524 TV sets in Finland at the end of the year.

1962

• The press called for a ban on TV advertising for being too efficient.

1965

• Programme sponsorship was discontinued.

• The Family Department was set up and produced programmes such as the TV doctor, a homekeeping show and a suburban drama series, each of which became the nation's long-time favourites.

• The Drama Department was founded. Recorded broadcasts began.

1967

• Our own building was completed in Helsinki and inaugurated by President of Finland Urho Kekkonen on 12 September.

• The Entertainment Department was established.

1969

• There were 285 advertisers, and 16,400 advertising spots were broadcast.

1970

• Acquisition of our own production equipment began.

1973

• We were among the founding members of the European Group of Television Advertisers (EGTA).

• Our annual song contest had 2.6 million viewers.

1976

• The first colour broadcast.

1977

• The first outside broadcast vehicle was introduced.

1980

• The first editing unit was completed.

1981

• Ten O’Clock News went on the air on 1 September, which marked an end to the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE's exclusive right to broadcast TV news.

1982

• The name of the company was changed to MTV Oy.

• Ten O’Clock News launched its “And finally” section, which soon became its trademark.

1984

• Eero Pilkama took over as CEO on 1 May.

1985

• Channel Three Finland was established on 25 November, with MTV Oy (35%), YLE (50%) and Nokia (15%) as owners.

1986

• Channel Three Finland began broadcasts in the Helsinki area on 1 December.

• Regional TV advertising began.

• Television Audience Measurement (TAM) began in Finland and made us the number one country for audience research.

1987

• Pääkaupunki-lehdestä luovuttiin.

1988

• The technology and real estate management company MTV-Palvelukiinteistöt Oy was founded.

• The TV advertising production company FOR Oy was founded.

1989

• We launched the first morning TV show in the Nordic countries on 1 December.

• The administrative councils of MTV and YLE decided to reallocate Finnish TV channels and transfer programmes funded on advertising revenue to a third TV network that was to operate nationwide.

• Channel Three Finland’s ownership rearrangements made it a subsidiary of MTV Oy.

1990

• Seven O’Clock News started on 1 September, first offering brief headline news and from 1991 a full-length news show.

• MTV Oy purchased Nokia’s Channel Three Finland shares and increased its ownership to 80%.

1992

• We acquired our own broadcasting unit.

1993

• The MTV3 channel went into operation and reached a 43% share of viewers in its first year.

• MTV Oy became a member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

• In addition to nationwide advertising, MTV was granted the opportunity to advertise in 11 regions.

• TV sponsorship started.

• MTV3 won the rights to broadcast Formula One and ice hockey.

1994

• Afternoon broadcasts began on 14 March.

• The European TV Directive came into force in Finland.

• MTV3 teletext was launched on 1 March.

1995

• The production company Funny Films Oy was established.

• The youth show Jyrki was first broadcast live from central Helsinki on 1 September. The programming block was produced in cooperation with the Canadian ChumCity International.

• MTV3 Internet was launched on 9 November and www.mtv3.fi soon became Finland’s most popular Internet address.

• MTV Oy became a member of the Association of Commercial Television in Europe (ACT).

• MTV Oy became a shareholder in Eurosport.

• Optical fibre cable links from Helsinki to Lahti and Tampere were introduced.

1996

• The radio station Suomen Uutisradio, with 28% ownership by MTV Oy, was issued an operating licence on 26 September.

• Digitalisation of MTV studios was completed.

• The Finnish Competition Authority proposed the discontinuation of the public service fees payable by commercial TV companies to the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE.

1997

• On 1 May the entertainment and production departments were spun off from MTV Oy and became its wholly owned subsidiaries MTV Viihde Oy and MTV Tuotanto Oy respectively.

• MTV Oy and the newspaper group Aamulehti-Yhtymä Oy merged to form Alma Media Corporation.

• On 21 October MTV Oy acquired 23.4% of Sweden’s TV4.

1998

• On 1 April MTV Oy became part of Alma Media Corporation.

1999

• Pearson Television purchased 51% of the shares of the entertainment production company MTV Viihde Oy.

• Ilkka Kylmälä was appointed CEO on 1 December

2000

• The new digital broadcasting unit was introduced.

• The youth cable channel TVTV! started on 1 February.

• The MTV Drama Department’s business was sold to the production company Jarowskij.

2001

• Digital channels were launched.

• The production company MTV Tuotanto Oy was sold to Blue Media.

• Pekka Karhuvaara was appointed CEO.

2002

• The operating licence fee was halved. The remainder of the fee will decrease in proportion to increases in the share of digital reception.

• As well as MTV3, MTV Interactive, Subtv, Radio Nova and 23.4% of Sweden’s TV4 were incorporated into Alma Media’s Broadcasting Division.

2003

• MTV Interactive launched consumer business.

2005

• The radio company Oy Suomen Uutisradio Ab acquired the entire share capital of the radio station Suomen Sävelradio Oy.

• Alma Media sold its Broadcasting Division to Nordic Broadcasting, a company owned by the Swedish Bonnier & Bonnier AB and Proventus Industrier AB on 26 April.

2006

• The Finnish government did not grant an extension to the operating licence of the radio station Suomen Sävelradio, so the station went off the air on 20 December.

• MTV launched a pay-TV channel package consisting of male-oriented MTV3 MAX, documentary channel MTV3Fakta, movie channel MTV3 Leffa and children’s channel Subtv Juniori.

2007

• Bonnier AB purchased 50 % of MTV's shares from Proventus Industrier AB, and thus, MTV became a 100 % owned subsidiary to Nordic Broadcasting Oy/ Bonnier AB.
• Ownership of TV4 Sweden was also transferred to Nordic Broadcasting Oy.
• MTV3's pay package was subscribed by 320.000 households.
• Analogue tv transmissions were switched off Sept 1st at 0400 in terrestrial networks and March 1st 2008 at 0800 in most cable networks. Finland was the first fully digitalised tv country in the whole world.

2008

• MTV launched three additional pay-tv channels: MTV3 AVA, MTV3 Sarja and MTV3 Scifi. Delivery in cable networks and satellite distribution only.
• TV4 Group/Bonnier AB acquired all shares of CMore, which operates a.o. Canal+ premium pay-tv channels in Nordic countries. The deal is subject to approval of relevant competition and concession authorities in Sweden and Finland.