Eino S. Repo is perhaps best known for his career with Yleisradio, the Finnish Broadcasting Company. As director general he pushed through many changes, both in terms of content and values. There were those who opposed his reforms and policies however, accusing him of politicising the state broadcaster. During Repo’s tenure as head of Yle, the broadcaster began to be dubbed ‘Reporadio’.

His foreign policy views were the main reason why the Centre Party decided to put Repo forward as a candidate for the director-general’s post in 1965. Repo was a supporter of the so-called Paasikivi-Kekkonen policy, which sought to ameliorate relations with the Communist Soviet Union. According to Jarmo Viljakainen, in the early 60s Urho Kekkonen had lined up Repo for the executive board of Yleisradio. Owing to the political circumstances of the time, the matter was dropped. But things had changed by 1965, with close associates of Kekkonen’s, Kustaa Vilkuna, and the then Prime Minister Johannes Virolainen, arguing his case. The decision to appoint Repo was eventually made unanimously.

Throughout his tenure as director-general, which lasted until 1969, Repo subscribed to a policy of active social engagement. In his view the company had previously merely given information about it. In Repo’s time, and with his support, Yleisradio created its own news service, headed by Ralf Friberg. This broke the monopoly exercised by STT, the Finnish Information Bureau, which was no longer the only source of radio news bulletins. The director-general courted further controversy by giving plenty of airtime to young journalists with a radical take on social affairs. Repo was accused of being too left-leaning.

Repo was denied a second five-year period as director-general. He had caused too much bad blood and irritation with his liberal policies and bold reforms. However, with the support of the communist SKDL, the Finnish People’s Democratic League, he was made head of the state broadcaster’s radio. He retired in 1974. To this day, Repo, with his trademark bowtie, is still a highly controversial figure in Finnish media history.

Sources:

• Pertti Hemánus, Reporadion nousu ja tuho (’The rise and fall of Reporadio’), Helsinki, 1972.
• Timo Hämäläinen, Eino Sakari Repo, Helsingin Sanomat newspaper obituary December 15, 2002. Accessed February 26, 2015.
• Jarmo Viljakainen, Reporadio. Yleisradion vaaran vuodet 1965–1972. Kohokohtia kirjan sivuilta (’Reporadio. Yleisradio’s hazardous years, 1965-72. Highlights from the pages of a book’), online publication. Accessed February 26, 2015.
• Wikipedia, Eino S. Repo. Accessed February 26, 2015.