Fact Sheet February 2005 Estonia Today ESTONIAN MASS MEDIA Although Estonia might be considered a ridiculously small dailies are Postimees (Postman) with 22.2% of the market market for a lot of media, press and broadcasting are part share and Eesti Päevaleht (Estonian Daily Newspaper) of the country’s identity. Estonians are rather ambitious in this with 14.5% of the market share. The one daily business field. The end of the Soviet era meant the establishment of an paper Äripäev (Business Daily) holds only about 7.8% of the open and free press. Even though the past ten years have market. In addition to the 9 Estonian dailies, there are also been quite turbulent, with smaller and bigger players trying four Russian language dailies. Of the 29 Estonian weeklies, their luck in the press, radio and television business, 14 are Russian language weeklies. The largest Estonian it seems that now the media sector has calmed down. weekly newspapers are: the first privately owned paper Eesti The Estonian media market is dominated by large publishing Ekspress, market share 11.5%, which launched the new era firms, which belong to major media groups. The Internet has of a independent press in 1989 and Maaleht (Country also worked its way into the media landscape and holds a Newspaper) with market share of 12.1%. rather important position. As with the private broadcasters, several of the Estonian newspapers have attracted foreign investors. Estonia has three nationwide terrestrial television channels: The aforementioned Norwegian firm Schibsted owns half of the public broadcaster Estonian Television (ETV, operating SL Õhtuleht and most of Postimees. The Swedish Bonnier since 1955), two private channels, Kanal 2 (operating since Group owns 100% of Äripäev. 1993) and TV3 (operating since 1996). A local TV broadcaster also exists in Tartu. Estonia is often proudly referred to as E-stonia, because it is among the leading countries in the world with regards to The private broadcasters, that hold large market shares Internet and mobile phone penetration. E-banking, (19% Kanal 2 and 24% TV3, compared to ETV’s 18%) have M(mobile)-Parking, and E-Government are just a few every been built on foreign capital. Kanal 2 belongs to the day terms in E-stonia. All this coupled with online portals like Norwegian company Schibsted and Modern Times Group, “Delfi”, “Everyday”, “EPL Online” and many others with a subsidiary of the Swedish company Kinnevik, owns TV3. commenting opportunities have created a generation Various independent production companies produce many in E-stonia, which performs most of its daily functions over of the Estonian programmes we see on television today. the Internet. In Tallinn and some other parts of Northern Estonia, in addition to the three national channels, it is possible to Estonian broadcasting regulations have been brought into receive the four main Finnish TV channels. Over 40% of accordance with the EU Television Without Frontiers Estonian households have cable television access, which Directive by the Estonian Broadcasting Act, which was means that many people have access to as many as 60 amended in 1999 and 2000. The first Press Council was channels including many Russian and German channels. established in 1991 and there are currently two Press There are 14 licensed local cable TV broadcasters in Estonia Councils operating simultaneously in Estonia. several of which produce programmes in Russian. While the media in Estonia, like in the rest of the world, Eesti Raadio (Estonian Radio), the public radio broadcaster, is becoming more and more oriented to “what sells”, it is started in 1926 and worked many years as a state worth acknowledging that there is an Estonian media, in the broadcaster. Estonian Radio and Estonian Television are Estonian language, produced by Estonians for Estonians. public broadcasting organisations according to the Media is a part of our heritage and it will help us maintain our Broadcasting Act (adopted in 1994). values in the future. The number of radio stations has grown rapidly after Raadio More information: Kuku started broadcasting in 1992 as the first private radio station. Today there are 31 radio channels in Estonia of which Estonian Newspaper Association, organisation of 26 are private and 5 are public. The public broadcaster, Eesti newspaper publishers, uniting 39 newspapers published in Raadio, actually broadcasts five different radio programmes Estonia www.eall.ee on different wavelengths. The Association of Estonian Broadcasters There are 133 newspapers published in Estonia and 310 www.ringhliit.ee magazines (Source: The National Library of Estonia, www.nlib.ee). In the printed press market, Estonia seems to Estonian Press Council be following the trend of the Western world where the most www.asn.org.ee read dailies are tabloids. According to the latest data from a media survey conducted by TNS Emor in the 4th quarter EMOR AS, the biggest market and media research 2004, the SL Õhtuleht (Evening Newspaper), Estonia’s company in Estonia www.emor.ee tabloid has 26.8% of the market share. The other main Press and Information Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Islandi väljak 1, Tallinn 15049, Estonia Tel. +372 631 7600, Fax +372 631 7617, E-mail: [email protected] www.vm.ee .