Internal and External monitoring
Internal monitoring
Internal monitoring ensures that Yle’s strategic and operative objectives are met, information concerning the operations is reliable, the company is managed efficiently, resources are used in an efficient and economical manner, and laws, principles and guidelines are complied with.
Yle’s Board of Directors approves the principles of internal monitoring, sets the objectives of internal monitoring and is responsible for the organisation of sufficient internal monitoring. The responsibility to execute and follow up internal monitoring rests with the CEO and the rest of the organisation. Internal monitoring is part of Yle’s daily operations and involves all employees. Internal monitoring is developed on an ongoing basis as part of the company’s planning, management and operating processes.
Compliance function
The objective of Yle’s compliance programme is to ensure compliance with laws, standards and ethical guidelines in the company. Yle’s operating principles are available on the company’s website at yle.fi/about-yle/operating-principles.
The Board of Directors monitors that the company’s compliance with the requirements is ensured in an appropriate manner and reviews the key compliance risks related to the company’s operations. The Board of Directors approves Yle’s compliance principles (in Finnish).
Yle is committed to complying with an ethical mode of operation and requires the same from all its partners. Yle has in place a company-wide Code of Conduct and Yle’s Ethical Guidelines for the Production of Programmes and Content (OTS). Yle complies with the Guidelines for Journalists drawn up by the Council for Mass Media.
Yle uses a reporting channel designated as an ethical channel, through which Yle’s personnel and interest groups can report irregularities detected or suspected in the company’s operations.
Risk management
Risk management is part of internal monitoring and good governance at Yle. Risk management refers to the continuous identification, assessment and management of the risks Yle encounters in its operations and related to its operations. Risk management covers all levels and risk types of Yle’s operations.
The purpose of risk management is to identify the key risk factors with regard to Yle’s operations and to manage them optimally so that the company’s strategic, operational and financial objectives are met and the events that damage the company’s reputation are minimised. Systematic risk management helps reduce the probability of the realisation of negative risks and decrease their adverse impact on the operations.
Yle’s Board of Directors has approved the risk management principles that govern the management of risks. The principles define the responsibilities and roles related to risk management and the ways to identify, assess and monitor risks.
Internal auditing
Internal auditing supports Yle’s Board of Directors in the monitoring of the adequacy, functioning and effectiveness of internal monitoring by providing objective assessment and consulting concerning the state of internal monitoring and risk management. The Board of Directors approves the internal auditing principles.
Internal auditing supports the executive management in meeting its objectives by giving recommendations for developing operating methods, processes and controls. Internal auditing systematically assesses the efficiency of internal monitoring and risk management as well as the administrative, management and monitoring processes.
Internal auditing reports to the Board of Directors. Audits are conducted by both Yle’s own and external resources.
External monitoring
Auditing
In 2022, Yle’s auditors were APA Virpi Halonen and KPMG Oy Ab, authorised public accountants, with APA Petri Sammalisto as the principal auditor, until the Annual General Meeting held on 4 May 2022. The Annual General Meeting elected APA Petri Sammalisto and KPMG Oy Ab, with APA Tiia Galkin as the appointed principal auditor, as the auditors of Yleisradio Oy.
The auditors were paid EUR 56,870 for the statutory audit for the 2022 financial period.
Yle has used the consulting services provided by KPMG Oy Ab in various projects related to the development of the company’s operations and paid a total of EUR 13,190 for these services.
Finnish Transport and Communications Agency
The legality of Yle’s operations is supervised by the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency. In accordance with section 12a of the Act on Yleisradio Oy, the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency monitors the differentiation of Yle’s commercial operations and the prohibition of price undercutting in the commercial operations, as well as the prohibition of advertising and sponsoring. The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency does not monitor the implementation of the public service mission referred to in section 7 of the Act of Yleisradio Oy. Instead, this mission is monitored by the Administrative Council of Yleisradio and the Parliament through the report submitted to it by the Administrative Council.
In accordance with the Information Society Code, the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency monitors, among other things, the implementation of the requirement to include European programming in the service provided by Yle and the fulfilment of the independent producer quota (“indie quota”), accessibility of Yle’s programming to individuals with vision or hearing impairments, and the sponsorship prohibition concerning programmes produced by Yle. In addition, the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency monitors Yle’s operations in the role of a general controller of legality with regard to the use of radio frequencies, for example.
Related party transactions
Yle has adopted related party guidelines approved by the Board of Directors, which define the composition of the related party, the related party transactions and the reporting of any related party transactions. Yle maintains a related party register, which includes the persons and organisations included in the company’s related party, the nature of each related party relationship, and the related party transactions.