Nopola News live stream

Nopola News online television

Nopola News is a Finnish community news and television project operating in the hyperlocal journalism format. The primary language of broadcasting is Finnish. The project was launched on May 13, 2005, in the municipality of Kyyjärvi, located in the region of Central Finland. The municipality has a population of approximately 1,300 residents. The project was originally named "Tiedon tuottaminen internetiin ja internet-ketjujen organisointi" (Producing Information for the Internet and Organizing Production Chains) and received funding from the EU's Leader+ program.

On air, Nopola News produces live web TV broadcasts that have been running since 2008. The core programming consists of live streams of municipal council meetings from Kyyjärvi and neighboring municipalities, including Perho, Vimpeli, and other towns in Central and Western Finland. These broadcasts allow residents to follow local government decision-making in real time. The channel also covers church services, sports commentary, and other local events. The broadcasts are digitally recorded and archived for later viewing. The content is produced collaboratively by the municipality, the local parish, sports organizations, businesses, village communities, and individual residents.

The television service is available through several distribution platforms. Nopola News broadcasts on the Maxivision IPTV service on channel 758 (later updated to channel 759). The channel is also available on various regional fiber optic networks across Finland, including on Pohjanmaan Puhelin (PPO) and Kasenet networks on channel 911, on Maxisat across Finland on channel 22, on Telekarelia in Joensuu, Lieksa, and Nurmes on channel 911, on Japo Yhtiöt in Alajärvi, Vimpeli, Soini, Lehtimäki, and Lappajärvi on channel 911, on Laitilan Puhelin in Laitila on channel 911, and on the Kuuskaista network on channel 911. The channel is also accessible worldwide via multicast in university and higher education networks.

The project also operates a web radio service (Nettiradio) that has been running since 2006, offering live and recorded audio broadcasts synchronized with the television programming. The radio service allows listeners to tune into council meetings, church services, and sports commentary via an internet connection. The entire project is operated primarily by volunteers and one paid employee, with the publisher organization being the association Kyyjärven Mediamyllärit ry. The primary paid employee is Veikko Huumarkangas.

The news website publishes written articles and announcements from all participating organizations, with nearly 100 volunteer reporters contributing content. The website receives up to 250,000 downloads per month, with users from across Finland, despite the small local population. Researchers from the University of Jyväskylä have studied Nopola News as an example of citizen journalism. The project has received numerous awards, including an Innosuomi honorable mention in 2005, the Finnish Ministry of Justice Democracy Prize in 2014, the European e-Inclusion Award in 2008 (geographic category), and the Finnish Municipal Marketing Championship title of Product of the Year in 2010.

Nopola News strives to serve as a meeting place and information hub for the residents of Kyyjärvi and anyone interested in the affairs of the municipality. The mission of the project is to provide a platform where ordinary citizens can produce and share local news, municipal decisions, event announcements, and other community information. As stated in its English description, the project is designed so that all essential information can be found in the web magazine, whether it is current affairs, bargains, events, meeting calls, family news, foreign news, municipal decisions, or other topics. Thanks to its IPTV distribution and online streaming, Nopola News provides the opportunity to watch its live broadcasts on any device, ensuring that residents of Kyyjärvi and the surrounding region, as well as former residents living elsewhere in Finland or abroad, can stay connected to their home community wherever they are.

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