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Kimmo Wilska: Finnish News Anchor Fired For Drinking Beer On Set

by Jordan Yerman | October 14, 2010 at 10:31 am

5084 views | 1 Recommendation | 5 comments

News Anchor Kimmo Wilska Fired for Beer Prank

Kimmo Wilska, an English-language news anchor for Finnish broadcaster YLE, was fired for drinking a beer on set. Kimmo Wilska was discussing a segment on bars being fined for breaking the conditions of their liquor licenses, and took a swig from a beer bottle (which may or may not have had beer in it) just as the segment cut back to the studio.

News Anchor Not Wearing Pants (Video)

Kimmo Wilska said that the bottle stunt was meant as an in-studio prank and not for public consumption; it was only televised because the editors cut to the news desk too early, but he was fired anyway.

Wilska is enjoying tremendous online support, though, for what it's worth. For example, the Kimmo Wilska Support Group on Facebook is 40,000-strong. Buzzfeed's editors are planning to get drunk live on Ustream as a sort of protest.

Meanwhile, in other countries, anchors are not getting fired for stuff like this.

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Olusola Ayeni (not verified)

at 11:42 on October 14th, 2010

This guy needs his own show. He will be a smash. He needs to go elsewhere ff the Finns cant endure his sense of humour.

lcoppe (not verified)

at 14:12 on October 14th, 2010

I thought that was hysterical - especially the look on his face. They need to loosen up!

femme (not verified)

at 08:14 on October 18th, 2010

Funny didn't even look like there was anything in that bottle. Looked very muck like some prank. Badly done, but a prank.

Anonymous D (not verified)

at 04:17 on November 19th, 2010

There's a lot wrong in this article. He did not drink any beer (as can be seen pretty clearly on the video), nor was that his beer bottle, he picked it empty from a trash bin before airing the show.Also I'm suspicious about the claim that it was not meant for the public to see - in an original interview Kimmo himself said that the reason he did it was because he thought it was a funny joke.Getting the joke requires some knowledge of the situation of alcohol consumption (excessive) and the government monopoly around it, I suppose. Personally I found it amusing, not at all offending.

Ingrid Magnusson (not verified)

at 13:14 on December 6th, 2010

Oh come on! They need to get a sense of humour. It was funny! How could it be seen as offensive? You should see the pranks they play in Australia and the US.