Finland: Global listenership saves Latin radio news service
(Source: The Mainichi via Kim Elliott)
HELSINKI (AP) - For nearly three decades, Finland's YLE radio has broadcast a weekly news program in Latin to a small group of committed listeners around the globe.
With the audience numbering just 10,000 and people increasingly turning to the internet for content, Friday was meant to be the end of the road for "Nuntii Latini," which means "news in Latin." But don't underestimate the passion of Latin aficionados - more than 3,000 of them wrote in from around the globe, some in fluent Latin, encouraging the station to save the program.
YLE leadership listened, agreeing to extend it until at least its 30th anniversary in 2019.
"Ne umquam desperaveris," (loosely translated: "never give up,") said co-announcer Reijo Pitkaranta, a docent and lecturer in Latin at the University of Helsinki.["]