Embracing audio in Nordic public service media: How Nordic public service media have transformed their radio and audio services

This chapter examines the radio and audio landscapes in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden in the late 2010s. How did the Nordic public service media (PSM) transform themselves from analogue radio broadcasters to digital audio providers, and how did they respond to the challenges of a changing media landscape? In addition, we investigate how Nordic PSM have strategically positioned themselves in the field of digital audio and what their distribution strategies have been in the age of digital platforms. Our thematic analysis of strategy papers and annual reports of four Nordic PSM organisations reveals that different countries’ communication policy solutions involved different directions for the development of audio services, particularly in terms of the distribution of audio content and digital audio broadcasting (DAB) radio development. The organisations’ strategic future directions exhibit a strong ethos of universal broadcasting. However, audiences are fragmenting, and Nordic PSM organisations are accordingly targeting smaller audiences, especially with their podcast offerings.