Weekend-TV

For the former ITV weekend service for London, United Kingdom, see London Weekend Television.

Weekend-TV was an attempt in the mid-1980s to break the Danish television monopoly held by DR. It was broadcast using a terrestrial frequency on weekends in Copenhagen. Financed primarily by Nordisk Film, the experience ended after just one year on air. Journalist Ole Stephensen was its editor-in-chief. ^[1]

History

The channel originated from a war against the DR monopoly which was initiated on 24 November 1984 by Kanal 2, appearing during a period in which Denmark had an eighteen-month pilot project which envisioned the creation of 28 local television stations. At the same time, a group of Danish media heavyweights: Politikens Hus, Det Berlingske Hus, Børsen, Aller, Egmont and Nordisk Film, announced its bid for a television channel. Unlike Kanal 2, which relied on subscriptions and decoders, Weekend-TV was entirely free-to-air, much like the later TV 2 until 2009. However, Weekend-TV would initially broadcast a free service before eventually moving to a subscription model. The aim of being a free channel was to give a political push for it to become the second national television channel. ^[2]

Exactly one month before broadcasts began, coinciding with the launch of Kanal 2 on cable, Weekend-TV's backers published a full-page newspaper advertisement saying "From 23 December, Danmarks Radio will have a little brother", above a cut-out illustration of the lower body of a baby wearing shoes with the DR logo. The advertisement said that its coverage (on UHF channels 53 and 56) would reach a potential 1,3 million viewers, while also announcing its first broadcasts on 23 December, followed by Christmas Day and Boxing Day (taking a break on Christmas Eve). It was expected to operate a three-day schedule (Fridays to Sundays) in 1985, as well as national holidays. Its biggest provocation against the monopoly was the hiring of TV Avisen presenter Mette Fugl, which was reported by the media as "Mette Guldfugl", fictionally being kidnapped (she was actually hired) for the commercial channel. Not all of her colleagues at DR saw her move in a positive way. Fugl considered it as an act of "treason" (working at a commercial TV station challenging DR's monopoly) but was tired of DR. There, she presented Weekend-Gæsten, an interview programme with prominent politicians, where she decided who would be invited. ^[2]

The journalists working at Weekend-TV had to create their own programmes to fill a regular three-day schedule. Tom Pedersen made several magazine programmes which were impossible to be produced by DR, including one on luxury cars. There was also a police programme where a policewoman in uniform read information on missing persons. The formats were not invented by the channel, but were inspired on existing formats in Sweden and the UK. ^[2]

In 1985, the Weekend-TV staff headed over to the Christenborg Palace to petition their plan to become TV 2. One of the acts was the sending of promotional material saying "There's an independent Danish TV 2 in Mosedalvej, Valby". This included photos of its staff (over 60 members), most of which had serious experience in the newspaper industry. The biggest problem was its lack of audience. In June-July 1985, its staff convened in an emergency meeting where the key conclusion was aiming to be a highlight in the Danish media landscape, with the aim of obtaining the permanent license. The plan was rejected, and its programming was limited to a basic Friday night variety show, Så er det fredag (comparable to the later Eleva2ren . The press groups left in November 1985, leaving the channel only to Egmont and Nordisk Film. Mette Fugl voluntarily left the channel. The Danish parliament approved a new law for the establishment of TV 2 without Weekend-TV's staff. ^[2]

References

1. "Journalist Ole Stephensen er død". DR Nyheder (in Danish).
2. De brød DR’s monopol – og tv-branchen blev aldrig den samme igen