General View of the Finnish media
In Finland there are 200 newspapers; 320 popular magazines, 2,100 professional magazines and 67 commercial radio stations, of which one nation-wide channel; three national public service radio channels in Finnish, and two in Swedish; a radio network in the Sami language, three digital radio channels; four national TV channels, of which two public service and two commercial channels; five digital public service TV channels and three commercial; 12 feature films each year; 12,000 book titles annually and 12 million records sold each year. All that is available for a population of 5.2 million in a land of 67% Internet penetration. Finns, along with other Nordic people and the Japanese, spend the most time in the world reading newspapers.
Finland is one of the most advanced information societies in the world. The people of Finland are well prepared to use high technology and information services. The number of cellular phone subscribers as well as the number of Internet connections per capita in Finland are among the highest in the world. According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Finnish mobile phone penetration exceeded 50 percent of the population as far back as August 1998 – first in the world – and by December 1998 the number of cell phone subscriptions outnumbered fixed-line phone connections. By the end of 2005 there were 5.38 million cellular phone subscribers, or 103% of the population.
Another fast-growing sector is the use of the Internet. According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Finland had more than 1.3 million Internet connections by the end of 2005, i.e. about 250 per 1,000 inhabitants. The Finns are not only connected; they are heavy users of Internet services. All Finnish schools and public libraries have for years been connected to the Internet.
Another fast-growing sector is the use of the Internet. According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Finland had more than 1.3 million Internet connections by the end of 2005, i.e. about 250 per 1,000 inhabitants. The Finns are not only connected; they are heavy users of Internet services. All Finnish schools and public libraries have for years been connected to the Internet.