APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200090021-3
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FIGURE 25. Elegant in their simplicity, the two long-necked vases were made by Orrefors. A herd of giraffes in flight, the graceful lines frosting gemlike colors and the joyous abandon of dancers enhance the beauty of the crystal made by Kosta. (U/OU) (photos)
bandy, which, though similar to hockey, is played with a small ball by 11-man teams on a rink of the same dimensions as a soccer field. Another popular outdoor sport is path-finding, in which the participants run through unknown and often difficult terrain, and, using a map and compass, seek their way with the help of strategically placed markers. Varpa is still another unique Swedish sport that is similar both to discus throwing and horseshoe pitching.
Sweden maintains a good record in many international winter sports competitions, especially ice hockey, cross-country skiing, and speed skating. The more than 55-mile long Vasa Race on skis is an extraordinary athletic event that each year attracts throngs on participants. In 1968 over 7,600 skiers completed the demanding run. Swedish athletes have performed well in international competition in summer sports, such as canoeing, cycling, swimming, tennis, sailing, and track and field.
J. Public information
1. Press and periodicals
The Swedes are avid newspaper readers. In the first half of 1969 there were 106 daily newspapers with a combined circulation of 4.3 million, which comes to about 540 copies per 1,000 inhabitants, the highest readership rate in the world. Almost all Swedes read at least one newspaper, and half the population regularly reads more than one. As in virtually all advanced Western countries, however, the number of newspapers continues to decline. In 1950 the number of daily newspapers in Sweden was about 180. Nearly 90% of the closures since that year have affected newspapers competing with others of larger circulation in the same community. Consequently, an increasing number of communities have become one-newspaper towns, as shown in the following tabulation:
| Newspapers in Community | Publishing Communities | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | 1950 | 1955 | 1960 | 1965 | 1969 | |
| 5 or more | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 3 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| 2 | 31 | 31 | 24 | 23 | 16 | 17 |
| 1 | 42 | 42 | 53 | 56 | 60 | 60 |
The increasing concentration of newspaper ownership in fewer hands has affected even relatively large-scale enterprises. For example, Stockholms-Tidningen, with a 1965 circulation of 156,900 copies, discontinued publication at the beginning of 1966. Of the newspapers still in existence, 20 or more are published at a loss, and they continue to appear only because of political subsidies. Figure 26 lists the principal daily newspapers, their circulation, and their political affiliation in 1970.
Most Swedish newspapers tend to be partisan, reflecting the point of view of the particular political party they support, although only the Communist press is actually owned by its party. For the most part, however, the Swedish press is in the hands of publishing companies or individuals who maintain some editorial autonomy vis-a-vis the party organizations. Bonniers, the one major press syndicate in Sweden, owns the largest morning and afternoon newspapers, and in addition publishes many of Sweden's general circulation magazines. Its political affiliation is with the Liberal and Conservative Parties, though such affiliation does not necessarily guide its publishing policies.
The increasing costs associated with newspaper publishing prompted a demand in the mid-1960's for some form of public support so as to maintain a
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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200090021-3
