YLE's decision to change its branding was taken as a way to ‘get closer to the Finns' with a ‘clearer and fresher logo', using a more fashionable typography and a new turquoise tint, an amalgamation of the company's two current colours blue and green.
The change of FST5 to YLE Fem was the result of an audience research and internal discussion within the broadcaster and the decision was taken by YLE Fem's management and the Finnish broadcaster's Director General Lauri Kivinen.
"YLE Fem feels fresh. The way ‘Fem' is written clears shows that the channel is Swedish-speaking. Viewers also immediately understand that it is a YLE channel, available on the broadcaster's number 5," said YLE Fem head of Programmes Nicolina Zilliacus-Korsström.
YLE operates in 30 communities and offers services in Finnish, Swedish and Sami. The public broadcaster is currently financed by a licence fee which will be replaced in 2013 by an income-linked media tax.