NRK’s Jostein Olseng to succeed Charlo Halvorsen as head of entertainment, fiction

Norwegian public broadcaster NRK has named Jostein Olseng as its new head of entertainment and fiction, succeeding Charlo Halvorsen.

Jostein Olseng

Olseng will oversee NRK’s Entertainment and Fiction department, which produces everything from comedy, drama projects, radio programmes and podcasts to major entertainment formats.

He was previously head of external commissions for the pubcaster, managing the portion of NRK’s portfolio produced by the local independent industry. Prior to joining, he was CEO of Banijay-owned production company Mastiff.

Olseng succeeds Halvorsen who, after over 40 years at NRK and the last 15 as entertainment editor, is planning to retire this summer.

“I approach this role with great respect. Entertainment on NRK means an enormous amount to people. That’s why we cannot rest on our laurels. We must be courageous and constantly find new ways of storytelling to reach our audience,” he said.

“Our goal, working alongside the most talented people both internally and in the independent production sector, is to leave a lasting impact on people’s daily lives.”

Camilla Bjørn, director of NRK’s content division, added: “Entertainment and fiction at NRK are in a period of transition, where we must determine how to continue providing new generations with laughter, thought-provoking content, and compelling entertainment. This requires a leader with both strategic vision and a deep understanding of creative work – qualities I believe describe Jostein perfectly.”