Draft:Suomi Kutsuu

☆ Save On Wikipedia ↗
Finland Calling
Suomi Kutsuu
GenreVariety show
Created by
Theme music composerJooseppi Riippa
Opening theme"Kotimaani ompi Suomi"
Country of originUnited States
Original languagesFinnish, English
No. of episodes2,650
Production
Production locationMarquette County, Michigan
Running time1 hour
Original release
NetworkWLUC-TV
ReleaseMarch 27, 1962 (1962-03-27) –
March 29, 2015 (2015-03-29)

Suomi Kutsuu (English: Finland Calling) was an American Finnish-language television variety show, broadcast by WLUC-TV in Marquette, Michigan. Suomi Kutsuu was the only Finnish-language TV show in the United States, and was hosted by Carl Pellonpaa from its premiere in 1962 to its finale in 2015. The program originated as a promotional program for local travel agents modeled on Hawaii Calls, and expanded into a 1-hour variety program that served both local and international audiences.[1][2]

History

WLUC-TV signed on in 1956 as WDMJ-TV, the television venture of Marquette newspaper the Daily Mining Journal. It was the first television station in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. WDMJ-TV was primarily affiliated with CBS, with secondary affiliations with ABC and NBC. The station's current call sign was adopted in 1959.[1]

Carl Pellonpaa, the show's co-creator and longtime host, was born in Ishpeming, Michigan, in 1930. He entered the field of broadcasting after losing a professional baseball contract due to a hunting injury, and was hired by WLUC in 1961 as a news and weather reporter.[3]

His colleague Eugene Sinervo (1916–1978) began as a studio artist for the station when it signed on, and expressed a desire to create a Finnish-language television program to serve the area's large Finnish American population. The Upper Peninsula had multiple established Finnish-language media outlets, including the newspaper Amerikan Suomalainen Lehti  and radio programs on WHDF and WMPL.[4]

To fund the new Finnish-language television program, Sinervo secured a sponsorship from a local travel agency. The travel agency sponsorship emulated the model of Hawaii Calls, a radio program which promoted tourism through Hawaiian music.[1] Suomi Kutsuu premiered on March 27, 1962, hosted by Pellonpaa and Sinervo. Beginning as a half-hour program in an undesirable early Sunday morning time slot, Suomi Kutsuu drew a positive reception from viewers and advertisers, often selling out its advertising slots with both Finnish and English-language advertisements.[1] Suomi Kutsuu was extended to a 1-hour time slot and moved later in the morning as its popularity grew.[1] Pellonpaa recalled in 1990 that his Finnish was initially rudimentary, calling it "the laughingstock of the Finns up here."[5]

The program promoted group tours to Finland, and its tour departed for Helsinki in June 1962.[6] It sponsored a total of 34 tours to Finland during the program's 53-year history. Suomi Kutsuu also organized a series of dances across the Upper Peninsula, the first of which was held in 1966 at a National Guard armory in Ishpeming.[7]

Format

The format of Suomi Kutsuu frequently emphasized travel. The program regularly featured formal and informal visitors to the Upper Peninsula from Finland, ranging from friends of Pellonpaa's family from Ähtäri to an organized delegation from Marquette's sister city Kajaani. In a 2021 analysis of the program's background and impact, University of Turku media studies scholar Mari Pajala argued that the program "created a sense of friendly, familiar, and frequent contact between the Upper Peninsula and Finland. The program’s image of the Upper Peninsula was not that of an isolated, marginally placed region; rather, it emphasized transnational connectivity."[1]: 186 

The program's theme music, "Kotimaani ompi Suomi" ("Finland Is My Home"), was composed by Hancock resident Jooseppi Riippa (1868–1896).[8][1]: 178 

Suomi Kutsuu frequently featured Finnish dance and popular music, including recordings by accordionist Veikko Ahvenainen and singers Tapio Rautavaara and Mauno Kuusisto.[1]: 186 

From 1965 to 1995, the program concluded with a religious segment hosted by Finnish-speaking pastors from local churches affiliated with the Lutheran Church in America and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.[9]

Guests

The program featured numerous guests over its history, including Presidents of Finland Urho Kekkonen and Tarja Halonen. The program also featured a Prime Minister of Finland, ambassadors, and cultural exchange groups.[1][10]

Hosts

Pellonpaa was the program's main host for its entire run. Pellonpaa appeared in a blue-and-white suit, the colors of the Finnish flag.[1]: 178  He co-hosted the program with colleague Eugene Sinervo until Sinervo's death in

References

  1. Pajala, Mari (2021). "Uses of local ethnic television: Finland Calling (1962–2015) and Michigan's Upper Peninsula". International Journal of Cultural Studies. 24 (1): 177–192. doi:10.1177/1367877920937714. ISSN 1367-8779. Wikidata Q136559497.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is under a CC BY 4.0 license.
  2. Sauvola, Mike (May 1995). "'Hey, you're that Suomi Kutsuu guy, aren't you?'". The Finnish American Reporter. p. 11. ISSN 1078-0025. Retrieved October 21, 2025 – via ProQuest.
  3. "Pellonpaa, Turner inducted into Michigan Broadcasting Hall of Fame". Upper Michigan's Source. Negaunee, Michigan: WLUC-TV. July 13, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  4. Holmio, Armas Kustaa Ensio (2001). History of the Finns in Michigan. Translated by Ryynanen, Ellen M. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. pp. 367–378. ISBN 978-0-8143-4000-4.
  5. Hacker, David (April 22, 1990). "Finnish Culture Takes to Airwaves: Show celebrates language, music". Detroit Free Press. pp. 4F. Retrieved October 24, 2025 – via ProQuest.
  6. "Two WLUC-TV Men To Conduct Air Tour To Finland June 18" (PDF). The Mining Journal. June 2, 1962. p. 3. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  7. "The end of an amazing run". The Daily Mining Gazette. March 7, 2015. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
  8. Schwiebert, Emily Riippa (August 27, 2021). "Flashback Friday: Suomi Called to Him". Michigan Tech Archives. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  9. Kemppainen, Rudolph (April 2011). "Finnish Language Television in Marquette County". The Finnish American Reporter. Vol. 25, no. 4. p. 3 – via ProQuest.
  10. Steele, Anne (March 27, 2015). "After 53 Years, Mr. Pellonpaa Is Finnished". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 21, 2025.