It was rather surprising that in the summer of 2002, just after the Eurovision Song Contest, there was neither clearly stated mission, nor vision for the Estonian Television. Frankly, the board back then found the ETV standing at the crossroads in its strategic thinking. Retrospectively speaking I know that it was surely an illusion. There have been fine and high-minded goals, stated in the ETV from the days of the Creative Unions’ plenums of that time, some of which are valid even today. Yet in the summer of 2002, this so called broken cradle reflected the meantime crises perhaps most vividly, when even the best things of yesteryear were being ready to be forgotten.

The most important impulse for the framing of strategic visions was given by the drafting of the development plan in May of 2002. When this thorough document was later in May farced in the Parliament, the television also came down to earth from the high clouds. It was necessary to think about what exactly could we do and why.

One of the first steps we took, was a notion that all the legislation affecting broadcasting in general were and still are morally outdated. The EBU suggested us, while following the trends in other world television channels, to throw overboard this self-determination that would limit us to the characteristics of a broadcasting organisation only sending out its own programme. It is widely believed in the world that the key to effectiveness and domination lies in the integration of media. That is, a television station that envisions its future in pottering at something in its own little corner is pre-destined to marginalisation. A television with only one channel is dead, long live the media organisation!

This notion is one of the pillars to our greater vision that rests on the analysis of both the horizontal and vertical integration of the industry. Behind this complex wording of different terms there is a necessity to self-control our own strategic resources. (As of today, we have to admit that the control over the signal sent out from the TV-station and received at homes is maintained by the company Levira that holds the monopolistic market position. Fortunately there are mutual normal relations between the two companies. The same positive tone stays when talking about the copyright fees).

On the other hand, there is understanding behind this aforementioned integration that we should not be interested solely in well-being of one separate media station, but first and foremost the best possible reception of a thought or a message among the society. The same warm emotion that, for example the play for kids, Pinocchio, radiates has to spread through the medium of television, VHS, DVD, or the internet alike. Young people should find those songs both on CD and MP3. The young ones have also had an opportunity to meet their favourite characters in the concert hall of Estonia Theatre together with the symphonic orchestra. This is the only way to counter-balance the messages that Mickey Mouse, Pokemons and others alike present.

The greatest revolutionary change in trying to phrase our goals grew out exactly from such kind of aspirations. If previously it was mainly discussed what type of shows with good messages we should make, then it was just now that we realised that our goal cannot lie only in making the good shows, but, furthermore, in making the viewer content.

By setting this goal into a bit more scientific frame, we find that our goal is, and can only be, related to this influence that we hold upon the society.

Living here and now in Estonia and wishing the development of this socium and environment in general that we live in, we, surprisingly so, found that our mission has to be the creation of the values of living in Estonia. The thought had to be clarified and nuanced a bit, of course. Primarily, that these values are not made up by us, but can be found through the dialogue with the viewer.

What was important though, that our mission brought into consciousness was the fact that everyone from the ETV was first and foremost a citizen with a clear conscience and after that a technical professional, who could do anything for money.

Yes, I would personally be glad if the ETV would be the last stronghold of that idealism in knickers in Estonia.


THE MISSION

The consequence of our activity, as it would be in any given media organisation, is the influence upon the society. Any strategic goal can be associated only with our relation to that influence.

We preserve and advance life in Estonia.

We do not pursue profit, because we are the organisation with public mission. Communication is the means we use in succeeding our goal. We are not merely a television, a radio, or the internet. We use all of the communication channels in order to support the progress of the national culture and the society as a whole.


THE VISION

We are no longer merely a television, but a communication- and cultural organisation, which finds its output in every media channel. Regardless of time, our messages are available all over the world.

We create and intermediate public opinion in every possible subject regarding Estonian everyday life. The ETV is a natural output for every public debate.

We strive for the discussion open to all thoughts, knowing that a debate is born to life from talk shows, music-, or drama programme.

We are a natural choice for partnership to all of the Estonian cultural and educational organisations. We create monuments for the Estonian culture.

Thanks to our media schooling programmes, we stand for the standard of media professionalism in Estonia.

Our financing is stable.

We have at least one internationally known media product that we market also abroad.

Ilmar Raag
Chairman of the Board