The VOD platform Jupiter operated by the Estonian public broadcaster ERR enjoyed a successful start in the middle of the Covid-19 crisis.
However, according to ERR’s DG Erik Roose, speaking to Radka Betcheva, EBU member relations Central & Eastern Europe, it made its debut “at a time when people had to stay home and wanted new content and new services, so we experienced a rocket launch of Jupiter by pure chance”. Yet despite this, Jupiter’s success “s a result of work carried out over a long period. The team of developers and IT specialists had already been working remotely for some time and Covid-19 didn’t harm their progress too much”.
Asked how ERR’s ETV channel has become Estonia’s most popular media brand , Roose said: “I think the answer is a combination of Covid-19 and hard work. The truth is that in turbulent times brands with high trust and trustworthiness come out the strongest. Even people who never consume serious news but prefer celebrity media switched to ERR because we are considered to be a reliable source with reliable editorial teams, and if everything is right then you just go for it.
“However, we remain cautions. Last month, local private media in Estonia filed a complaint with the European Commission, claiming we have strengthened our position too much and receive too much funding. It’s a similar situation to YLE in Finland and LRT in Lithuania, so we’re discussing with them and evaluating with legal experts, as well as with the EBU. I absolutely do not agree with these accusations. But it’s a free world. We live in a democracy and everyone can complain”.
