BBC Nordic media strategy sees Finland as key

The new state-of-the-art audiovisual studio being constructed in Tampere, Finland is just one sign of great things to come , according this seasoned BBC leader.

Jan Salling is a man with a vision – and a mission. As the BBC’s Head of Studios – Nordics, Salling is not merely observing the future of media-making in the Nordics unfold – he’s helping to create this future. What’s more, Salling is very firm in his belief that Finland is at the forefront of developments in how both drama and reality shows are brought ever more rapidly to regional and global markets.

Over the years Salling has worn many hats in the film and media sector, but in each of these roles he has consistently been a passionate booster for Nordic media production, pointing out, “I have always identified the Nordic countries as a creative hotspot, and that’s a narrative I have preached across the world. Whatever the topic of my presentation, and whether I’m speaking at a film festival in Cannes, Dubai, or Shanghai, I always make sure to mention that the Nordics are a true media powerhouse that can deliver both great ideas and extremely high production values. What’s more, high-quality productions can be made here on a relatively small budget compared to places like the US or the UK. In fact, at this point I think it’s universally apparent that we Nordics are punching above our weight – whether we are talking about scripted or non-scripted media productions.”

Finland well-positioned to lead

In January 2022 Salling spoke at a press conference in Tampere, Finland marking the start of construction for a new world-class audiovisual studio there. Talking with him several weeks later, Salling followed up on his press event to share more about where the global media sector is headed – and the increasing role that Finland will play in this rapidly changing landscape.

He began by reiterating that the BBC is eager to increase its international presence, and that the need for streamed productions is growing – particularly for scripted drama programs. “What we have witnessed over the past 12 to 18 months is that there has been an enormous explosion in demand for scripted series – partly driven by Covid and partly by global consolidation, as big companies are becoming bigger by joining forces.” Salling continues, “For these reasons, the signs that Finland is building a more significant role for itself in global media production – including opening the new Tampere studio – could not have been better. I’m quite confident that their production calendar will be full right from the start – and not only for drama-based series, as the new facilities are well-suited for a range of non-scripted media as well, including reality and entertainment programming.” He explains that this is where the BBC comes into the equation. “We have thousands of drama rights to various genres of series and titles, and we’ve currently defined a minimum of 120 of these that are quite globally exportable.”

Think globally, act (and direct!) locally

Salling is convinced that the growing need for local adaptation of these globally celebrated series is one area that Finland – and BBC Nordic – are well-positioned to really shine, in part by reworking these stories for the Finnish market. “How do we make a global hit feel genuinely Finnish? The answer is to reinvent it with a talented local screenwriter – which means a local broadcaster can then actually green-light it in as little as three to six months.”

I’m a huge fan of Finnish creativity. What I have been happy to say when I speak at international conferences, is that much of the most creative content in the Nordics comes from Finland. 

According to Salling, this rapidly increasing demand for productions in Finland means there is a real need both for more studio space – and of course for more Finnish producers, directors and all other skilled professionals in the sector. And this, plus Finland’s incentives and reputation for quality productions, also means that a lot of Nordic production is moving to Finland. As Salling rather pointedly comments, “In fact, Sweden does not yet even have an incentive scheme.”

Speaking on a more personal note, Jan Salling also takes time to underline a few things about his respect and fondness for the Finnish media sector: “I’m a huge fan of Finnish creativity. I have worked with Finnish production companies for the past 20 years. What I have been happy to say when I speak at international conferences, is that much of the most creative content in the Nordics comes from Finland. It may be partly because the Finnish language is not part of the Scandinavian language group – so they feel a bit apart. Finland already delivers programming with the same quality level as other Nordics, even though their budgets are not always as high, so they need to fight that much harder, be that much more original, and be that much more talented – to get their creative ideas across and succeed. The creativity we see in Finland at the moment is quite amazing, and it’s only going to get better.”