Tallinn had previously operated its own channel, Tallinna TV, but this went off-air in September 2020.

However, city authorities were keen to continue their more serious broadcasts, seeing them as an alternative to the nationwide media.

City of Tallinn comms director Kirsti Ruul said of the change that: "Satisfaction surveys involving the people of Tallinn have revealed that they mostly obtain their information on city management from the national media, including the national TV channels."

The main "national media" TV channels are Duo and Kanal2, operated by the Postimees Grupp, the Viasat-owned TV3, and the three TV channels run by public broadcaster ERR, two in Estonian and one (ETV+) in Russian.

Ruul said that the capital maintaining its own broadcasts provides more information than can fit into the news flow of the national channels (which are not state-controlled, however – ed.), and will complement that already available in the Pealinn (Estonian-language) and Stolitsa (Russian-language) free papers and on social media.

The city has also won out in financial terms, Ruul said, as a little over 200 editions of the capital's news, along with over 43 editions of the show "Minu Tallinn" will be broadcast this year at a cost of €250,000, compared with €424,500 (plus VAT) paid last year when the airtime was first purchased from TV3 LINK

The news airs at 6.45 p.m. Estonian time on Duo5, while "Minu Tallinn" is being broadcast on Sundays at 4 p.m. by Kanal 2.

Duo Media chief Jüri Pihel welcomed the addition of news from the capital, calling it a great step in the transition the channel has made over the years from entertainment to a weightier current affairs-based approach.

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