VM-row at NRK: "Very surprised and disappointed"

The Norwegian public broadcaster NRK is facing internal dissent over its decision to bring in Kasper Wikestad from rival Viaplay to cover the upcoming football World Cup. While NRK's sports department, led by Espen Olsen Langfeldt, hailed the move as assembling a "star team" and securing "some of the biggest moments in Norwegian sports history," a significant number of NRK employees are reportedly unhappy.

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Now we are in the process of assembling a proper star team for the World Cup.

Sources within NRK, speaking anonymously to VG, have expressed surprise and disappointment. The union representative for NRK Sport's editorial staff, Frode Søreide, confirmed that the club has received questions from colleagues questioning the rationale behind hiring external talent for such a high-profile event. Søreide acknowledged that the union has raised these concerns with NRK management, inquiring about the potential impact on the work environment. The union's "principled view" is that permanent tasks should be handled by permanent employees.

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This will be some of the biggest moments in Norwegian sports history.

However, NRK's sports editor, Espen Olsen Langfeldt, has pushed back against the notion of widespread internal dissatisfaction. He stated that NRK is "very happy" to have Wikestad on board and that he has been "well received by colleagues." Langfeldt asserted that NRK has had "good and constructive dialogues with all involved, including union representatives" and has "not registered any internal dissatisfaction." Instead, he claimed, there has been "great enthusiasm" for bringing in a "capacity like Kasper" who has extensive experience in football commentary.

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It is not to be hidden that I, as club leader, have received questions from colleagues who question why one does not use internal, permanent employees for such a prestigious task as this.

This situation highlights a common tension within established media organizations: the balance between utilizing external expertise for major events and nurturing internal talent. While NRK management frames the decision as a strategic choice to "top up the team," the internal reaction suggests a perception that loyal, permanent staff are being overlooked for prestigious assignments. The debate touches upon job security, career progression, and the value placed on in-house knowledge versus external star power within Norwegian sports broadcasting.

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As a union club, we have taken up the matter with management and questioned what consequences such a process can have for the work environment.