Peter Örn leaving post as CEO of Swedish Radio (SR)

Many people are asking me for a comment on Peter Örn leaving the position as head of Sveriges Radio. I think first of all it is always sad when someone is leaving because of disputes. I have spent quite some time with Peter, talking about various things (distribution of radio most of all of course) and to some degree understand why his view has been as it has.

His advisors, many of them long time SR staff, had started varuous projects like DAB many years before Peter came on board. Rumors say SR is even stuck in long term contracts. Contracts that of course are not really what you want when the economy is already under pressure. How much a board that for too long did hold on to the traditional way of distributing radio influenced Peter is of course impossible to know. A good CEO do whatever they can to fuilfil whatever the board decides, but a CEO of course at the same time have to advice the board on what the organisation is capable of doing.

The way SR pushed for DAB was a fiasko. A complete mistake, from day one. There are so many connections between the people in SR that pushed for DAB, the development of the DAB standard itself etc that one can write books and books about it. The full truth about what happened is probably something we will never know. But is that important?

I do not think so. At the end of the day, the minister of culture, Leif Pagrotsky, made a decision that the single push for DAB, and closing the FM network was the wrong track. Radio was to be distributed in as many ways as possible, and what one day is going to replace FM (if at all) is to be evaluated over a long period of time. That the Government is forced to step in and control the Public Radio in a country, where both the company itself with historically strong employees, and the board claim they should be independent.

But that decision saved Swedish Radio. Unfortunately the full implication of the decision was not implemented fast enough by Peter Örn that at the same time pushed for his SR2010 plan that focused on many programs, many channels, and what he called modernizing the radio. Those events together I think forced him to retire. Together with of course some unknown dispute with (chairman of) the board.

Swedish Radio need a new captain. A new leader that can help the radio focusing on its main task. To produce Public Radio. To serve their listeners. SR have a position on the market among many radio stations that no other player has. I saw a short notice in Dagens Nyheter yesterday where a person said “please bring us back P1, P2, P3 and P4 as it was before”. I like that statement, but I am not for conservatism. Radio must evolve like any media, but it has to do to carefully. The latest changes in P1 has not made people happy, and the question is whether only the amount of money spent per minute broadcasted radio is what should be the measurement for success. More channels does not imply “better radio”.

I think SR first of all should take a step back and decide what products SR produce. Very fast it is possible to identify News, Discussions, Deeper explanations, Science, Art, Classical Music, Sport, Live press conferences, Modern Music, Lighter programming, Local Radiio Stations and of course information and programs in non-swedish. Historically that has fit in 4 stations on FM. Do we need many more than 5?

Most important is though that SR should, as was said by the Government between the lines, concentrate on production of programs. They can be produced in house, externally, and of course be music that have to be paid for via licenses. The production quality must evolve, and things like high quality radio (DTS 5.1 etc) is for me a natural path of evolution.

Secondary, and for SR actually quite unimportant is the distribution mechanisms. Radio must of course be transmitted over FM for quite some time, and the contracts / agreements for how to use the radio spectrum must be reviewed now and then. But more important is that in the new world people listen to what they want when they want to listen, and using whatever technology they find is available.

SR must use all kinds of distribution mechanisms. That SR is not visible in the Sattelite box at home, or on the DVB-T network is not acceptable. That SR not themselves invite ISPs to discussions on how to distribute radio in an as efficient way as possible is also surprising. Yes, some smaller projects has existed, but the budget has been non-noticable beside the enormous investment (and payments for long term contracts) in DAB.

Only 4 people work with the IP network at SR. Yes, you did read the right thing. Four.

Question now is of course if the interim CEO Kerstin Brunnberg can do something, fast? I think she should concentrate on calming the staff down. Making them feel comfortable, and reintroduce SR as one company instead of a group of groups where everyone is complaining on everyone else. Cash flow issues her advisors on economy have to look at for her.

In the longer run I think SvT, SR and the other Public Services companies must become more efficient production companies. Ignore the distribution. Many productions are already done by people from both organisations. Minimize the number of peple that are not part of the main process (and explicitly needed support processes). Decrease the amount of channels. Do not panic because of commersial competitors. Use the fact small local commercial channels do produce what SR do not produce. That will make sure people continue to listen to radio. Stay with doing what you are best at – public radio. Buy distribution on the market. If the content is of good enough quality, people will be happy to distribute the material.

I look forward to a good and healthy Swedish Radio, and a situation where i personally no longer get email once a day from individuals that explain what mistakes leadership in the organisation do. I like Swedish Radio. I listen to it every day. Mats Einarsson and Kjell Alinge – thanks for everything you have produced during the years.