Helsingin Sanomat's Radio Helsinki acquisition in spring 2005 raised attention in Finnish media as well as among the listeners. How does the cooperation between Radio Helsinki and Helsingin Sanomat's Nyt supplement for young readers look like in 2006?

When Helsingin Sanomat announced its Radio Helsinki acquisition, the discussion about radio station's future started in Finnish media. Axa Sorjanen and Paula Salovaara from Radio Helsinki were busy to assure that the station's image and style will remain unchanged and it will be further developed. Radio Helsinki's aim is to be "the most listened commercial local radio station in its target group". Radio Helsinki broadened Helsingin Sanomat's offering for youngsters and increased its multi channel approach.

- We got an enormous amount of feedback during the first couple of days after the acquisition. The the stream slowly got quiet. I think it was mostly due to our answers to all questions. There will always be listeners according to whom "Radio Helsinki was better in good old days" but they would feel so even without the acquisition, Radio Helsinki's Editor-in-Chief Paula Salovaara says.

Common content and change of thoughts

Radio Helsinki offers its listeners versatile programmes from talk shows to music programmes covering all fields of music. After the acquisition, the professional journalists have even broader playground as Radio Helsinki started cooperation with Helsingin Sanomat and its Nyt supplement.

- Cooperation began quickly in news and it gets more versatile all the time. Now we have cross country skiing school for beginners, radio philosophers, as well as Helsinki of the Dreams competition that has been going on for years. Next time the prize will be distributed on March 3, 2006. We had good cooperation with sports editors during the World Championships and now the work is continuing in Olympic Games. We also develop joint projects with City and Cultural editors, Salovaara lists.

- The challenge for Nyt in its 10 year existence has been fresh and new way of doing. We must be able to offer our readers something new and surprising. Our aim is to make high quality journalism and a personal tabloid and we are continuously seeking for new aspects to rise our young readers' interest. Reaching young target group seems to get harder all the time, Head of the Editors Reetta Räty describes.

- For Nyt, the most important thing in cooperation with Radio Helsinki is the possibility to change ideas and learn something new.

Speeding up in 2006

According to Salovaara, the cooperation with Helsingin Sanomat gives Radio Helsinki more time to concentrate on core content. - Different types of joint projects with newspaper editors are a brilliant idea.

Helsingin Sanomat's Nyt supplement and Radio Helsinki have already a lot of new plans for joint future. Salovaara and Räty do not want to reveal all their ideas but they promise that the deepening cooperation with editors will continue. There are numerous possibilities.


See and read more in:
http://www.radiohelsinki.fi/
http://www.nyt.fi/