The Voice of… to Be Made in Finland

CANNES: Talpa’s new hit format The Voice of… is being adapted in Finland by Banijay’s Solar Television for Nelonen. 

The show was originally produced by Talpa’s John de Mol for RTL4 in the Netherlands. NBC in the U.S. will begin airing its version later this month. Nordisk is a partner on the project. 

In other news at the company, Solar Television has made changes to its staff. Petteri Ahomaa has been appointed as CEO, responsible for overall performance and sales to networks. He will also continue working as an executive producer on prime-time productions. Martti Sivonen will be CCO, responsible for creative performance, new formats and working as an executive producer in factual and entertainment productions. 

Petteri said, “We are delighted to bring this huge entertainment program, tipped as ‘the next big thing’ internationally, to Finland. It’s great that Nelonen has recognised the potential of this format.”

Maarten Meijs, the managing director of Talpa Distribution, added, "The pickup in Finland means the first production of The Voice of… in Northern Europe. This is promising news for Talpa in the Scandinavian market, especially because Nordisk Film TV is our trusted and enthusiastic partner in this region."

Jacob Houlind, Nordisk’s CEO, said, “It’s a delightful combination, announcing the biggest ever Solar Television deal combined with the announcement of extended responsibility to such talented TV executives as Petteri and Martti.”