Dean Heikki Hellman elected to the board of the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE)

Doctor of Social Sciences Heikki Hellman has been appointed a member of the board of the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE). Hellman starts as a new member of the board as Juhani Pekkala, CEO of the Federation of Finnish Commerce, leaves the board. Other than this change, the composition of the board will remain the same.

Hellman thinks that the board membership is a good thing also from the point of view of the University of Tampere as it will open up a very useful view into electronic communication and the society more widely.

”Both the Finnish Broadcasting Company and the University work for the common good. This appointment is also a vote of confidence to the academic world,” Hellman says.

Hellman is a well-known expert on Finnish electronic media. The University of Tampere can continue to conduct research on the Finnish Broadcasting Company also in the future. Hellman does not think that there is contradiction in view of his position on the YLE board as long as the research is done openly and transparently.

Heikki Hellman is a Docent of journalism and mass communication and the Dean of the School of Communication, Media and Theatre at the University of Tampere. In 2008—2009 he worked as the visiting Professor of journalism at the University of Tampere. Before his academic career, Hellman worked for years in Helsingin Sanomat newspaper as a journalist and the head of the culture section.

Kari Neilimo will continue as the Chair of the YLE board. The other board members are Professor Laura Kolbe, Director Gunvor Kronman, CEO Kirsi-Marja Laitinen, Senior Partner Tuomo Raasio and Partner Ilkka Wäck. Journalist Raino Hurme is the member of the board appointed by the YLE staff.

The board of the Finnish Broadcasting Company consists of 5—8 members who are appointed for one-year tenures at a time. The remit of the board is to elect the CEO of YLE and to make decisions on the company’s budget and strategy.

Yle news on the appointment (In Finnish)