Choice of top executive of Finnish Broadcasting Company postponed

Backman still in the running; opponents denounce "undemocratic process"

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The Administrative Council of the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) decided late on Tuesday evening to postpone its decision on a new Director-General for YLE. The council, which is appointed by Parliament, will reconsider the matter on Friday.
      The chairman of the Administrative Council, Markku Laukkanen (Centre), said late on Tuesday evening that Social Democratic MP Jouni Backman, the vice chairman of the council, is still in the running for the post.
      The Administrative Council decided to set up a six-member working group to discuss the issue before Friday's session.
     
A political dispute emerged during the weekend when Laukkanen said that he had asked Backman if he would agree to take the Director-General’s post.
      Representatives of opposition parties on the Administrative Council sharply criticised the procedure. Irina Krohn (Green) noted that Laukkanen and Backman had hired a group of consultants to interview ten other possible candidates.
      "Backman succumbed to pressure from the rest of the Social Democratic group, whose idea was that the post of Director-General of YLE is a Social Democratic Party entitlement", Krohn said.
     
The call to postpone the decision was made by Administrative Council member Anneli Lapintie (Left Alliance), who denounced the decision to set up the working group as an attempt to sidestep the council’s decision-making authority.
      "The process has been shockingly undemocratic", Lapintie said.
     
Before the meeting a group of about ten demonstrators representing the public service broadcasting advocacy group Pro Yleisö called for an open application process.
      Most of the group were YLE personnel. One of the demonstrators, radio journalist Päivi Istala, noted that the new Governor for the Bank of Finland was also chosen on the basis of an open application process, and said that the same should apply to the YLE Director-General. She denounced what she saw to be political back-room bargaining. 


Links:
  YLE web site: This is YLE

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