Dead | Journalist Hannu Taanila has died – “A genuine debate is heavenly”, he described in HS's 80th anniversary interview

Prolonged Editor of Yle Hannu Taanila is dead, tells Over. The matter was confirmed to Yle by Taanila's next of kin.

Taanila was 84 years old when she died. He was born in Ylivieska on May 10, 1939.

Helsingin Sanomat interviewed Hannu Taanilaa on his 80th birthday in 2019. In the interview, he said that he longs for a job as a Yle radio reporter, because he likes to talk to large audiences.

He said that he “nowadays mainly only goes to churches and former fighters”.

“I miss events with at least five hundred people. Devil. They would like to hate my thoughts, a real debate is heavenly,” Taanila said to HS.

Radio journalist Hannu Taanila prepared his book diary program in 1990. Picture: Petri Tynkkynen / Magazine photo

Hannu Taanila, department manager of the publishing company Tamme, on his sofa at home in Helsinki in November. 1968. Picture: Pekka Haraste / Magazine photo

Who?

Hannu Taanila

■ Born in 1939 in Ylivieska.

■ Bachelor of Humanities 1964, University of Turku.

■ Freelance journalist 1965–1975. Cultural secretary of the Finnish Student Unions Union 1965–1967.

■ Hosted the television entertainment program Jatkoaika together with Lenita Airisto and Aarre Elo 1968–1969. Department manager of the publishing company Tamme 1967–1975.

■ Managing director of Ylen Radio 2's cultural reporting 1975–1984 and managing director of the radio's science and culture programs 1985–1990. Key role in the launch of Yle's Latin-language news in 1989. Project manager and special editor of Radio Yle's number one until the beginning of 2003.

■ Honorary member of the Organum Society of Organ Art since 1995, Church's Communication Award 1997, Radio and Television Industry Koura Civilization Award 2004 and State Award for Information Publication 2003.

■ Lived in Helsinki. Married to harpsichordist-organist Kati Hämäläinen. One child and a grandchild.