Tanja Karpela wants the Finnish government to subsidize sports on TV
YLE reports that Culture Minister Tanja Karpela wants to keep nationally significant sports events on TV networks that are accessible to all Finns. What the brief article in English doesn’t mention is how she plans to do this – through government subsidies. So your tax money will go to fund MTV3, Nelonen, or YLE, so that they can show things like soccer on their stations instead of cable stations like SubTV or premium/pay-per-view channels.
Much of Finland appear to be rightfully upset about this waste of money, especially when government is lacking on such essential services like healthcare. But the country doesn’t seem in that same uproar over subsidies in things like opera, symphony and theatre. I don’t really see what the difference is except that alot more people would rather watch soccer than the opera. So if you don’t like the idea government subsidized televised sports programs, I hope you don’t like the idea of government subsidized theater either. I think it’s wonderful that people enjoy sports and other cultural activities, you just shouldn’t force some other schmuck to pay for your enjoyment.
There is a difference, if it’s big enough to give opera a free pass, that’s another thing.
But this sports crap is goign to the pay challes, because it makes a lot of money. It’s very, very profitable. It is pure idiocy for a goverment subsidizing something that’s doing very well on it’s own.
But who watches opera and theater? Without goverment money they would, most propably, essentially die out. This, they recon, would be a loss. A part of finnish culture would disappear.
This is most visible in the finnish movie business. Only Spede Pasanen managed to make movies without govermental support. It wasn’t a long ago when it would have been almost impossible for a finnish movie to break even without goverment money.
Quite possibly, because considering the quality at the time it would have been a mercy killing…
Comment by Toveri — Sun, Feb 13th, 2005 @ 8:18 pm
yah! we can watch more saturday morning skiing! (update your side bar by the way. i have a new adress for the finnish burritto)
Comment by stan — Mon, Feb 14th, 2005 @ 12:18 am
The costs of television rights have practically gone up and up ever since they figured out that no sum is too ridiculous to ask from these television companies. Now the problem is that they’re on the limit. Television companies are backing down from the deals since they are too expensive. Even in Finland MTV3 is losing money when they are broadcasting Formula 1 and Finnish IceHockey league. The only reason theyre continuing this year, is that “it fits theyre profile”.
With NHL and F1 reform, we could actually see a possibility to reverse this tendency where national broadcasting companies can show something more important than women’s national curling league. IMHO its very stupid to go public saying that the government will subsidize some cost at the same time when they were seriously negotiating of lowering it. Then again. Fortunately however this is just a part of Karpela’s populistic plan. Just talk – nothing more ever comes from her.
Comment by Cuculcan — Mon, Feb 14th, 2005 @ 10:56 am
I doubt subdizing the sports will ever help lowering the total costs. These professional sports leagues like the NHL or F1 know that the government subsidizes the events, so they raise the prices cause they know government will pay for it no matter what.
Comment by Phil — Mon, Feb 14th, 2005 @ 12:24 pm
No one seems to think that there is too much sports on tv today. If you want to compare arts and sports, it would be wise to think which one makes people more passive. All arts (except opera) have been ran down in few years time. No wonder the last ones are making commercial junk to get the last of the little money there’s left. So I see good reason to fund theatre and other arts. They are the last thing left of Finland before there’s naught but Nokia and Formula 1. All work and no play.
Comment by Seneca — Tue, Feb 15th, 2005 @ 11:28 pm
Well, I think Finns can find other enjoyments than theatre and the arts. I just don’t think it’s fair that someone who doesn’t like the opera (for example) should have to help pay for some guy who does like the opera. And take a look at the stereotypical clientele at the opera, I think they can afford those tickets themselves.
And if tomorrow the government suddenly decided to cut all funding for these things, will people stop suddenly painting? Would opera singers all suddenly stoping singing? Would actors stop acting? Of course not. Maybe Karita Mattila may make a couple less million per year, and maybe theatre goers will have to pay a few extra euros per ticket. But the U.S. has all kinds cultural arts and much much less government subsidies…how can the U.S. survive but not Finland?
Comment by Phil — Wed, Feb 16th, 2005 @ 8:28 am