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Estonian Public Broadcasting keeps board chairman, brings in BNS chief

BC, Tallinn, 16.04.2014.Print version
The council of Estonian Public Broadcasting Co (Eesti Rahvusringhääling – ERR) decided on Tuesday to allow board chairman Margus Allikmaa continue in his post and approved of Ainar Ruussaar as a new board member in order to solve a conflict in the organisation that started from Allikmaa's wish to oust ERR's sports department chief, informs LETA.

ERR news portal reports that the vote over Allikmaa continuing resulted in a 4:4 tie between council members. Two thirds majority would have been needed to oust him. Allikmaa proposed former national television ETV director general, current editor-in-chief of news agency BNS Ainar Ruussaar as board member and he received 6 for and 2 against votes.

 

ERR council chairman Agu Uudelepp explained that two options were discussed by the council: either to recall Allikmaa from his post or go along with the plan that he will stay and appoint a new board member to replace Hanno Tomberg, who announced on March 25 that he would resign on June 1.

 

Ruussaar will be responsible for the contents of ERR. Initially the focus will be on development connected to new media. "The task of the new board member would be guaranteeing independent journalistic content," said Uudelepp, adding that the discussion was very long and thorough.

 

At the end of March, Allikmaa decided to sack long-term head of ERR sports department Marko Kaljuveer, accusing him of only focusing on a few sports fields that get the majority of broadcasting time, especially football, and neglecting other fields of sports that are not that attractive to viewers.

 

After that, ERR board member Hanno Tomberg submitted his resignation, saying that was because of the conflict between Allikmaa and Kaljuveer that had lasted for months. ERR's midlevel managers, editors and department chiefs wrote a letter where they supported Kaljuveer and Tomberg continuing. ERR's sports department demanded that ERR board chairman Margus Allikmaa resign instead.

 

After the decisions made on Tuesday, it was also decided that Kaljuveer will be made a proposal to start working as producer and if he declines it, his job contract with ERR end.






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