Sven Alfred Teodor Jerring, (born ''Jonsson'', 8 December 1895 – 27 April 1979) was a Swedish
radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmi ...
man who during almost 50 years worked as a presenter, sports journalist and commentator at the national Swedish broadcasting company AB Radiotjänst, in the mid-fifties renamed to
Sveriges Radio.
He was married from 1929 to 1937 to book illustrator Yvonne Millde, and from 1972 until his death to nurse Barbro Wessel (1920–2007). He was the brother of actor and director Nils Jerring.
Jerring was born in
Malung
Malung is a locality and the seat of Malung-Sälen Municipality, Dalarna County, Sweden, with 5,126 inhabitants as of 2010.
Overview
Malung is home to Malungs Folkhögskola, two kilometers south of the town centre. Specialized courses include ...
, Sweden, but the family moved a lot during his childhood. When he turned eleven the family moved to
Vadstena
Vadstena () is a locality and the seat of Vadstena Municipality, Östergötland County, Sweden, with 5,613 inhabitants in 2010. From 1974 to 1979 Vadstena was administered as part of Motala Municipality.
Despite its small population, Vadstena ...
, Sweden. The young Jerring has been described as a silent reclusive person that mostly liked to play. When he got older he graduated and did military service. He was stationed at
Petrograd in current
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
, Russia between 1917 and 1918. During his service the Russian
October Revolution
The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key mome ...
happened. After his return to Sweden from Petrograd, Jerring became a freelance journalist and wrote for the ; in 1921 he moved to where he wrote articles under the pseudonym Jerker Ring. In 1923 Jerring started working at Åhlén & Åkerlunds förlag; the same year he also started working for the publishing house's radio show and made his radio debut on 2 December 1923.
When
Radiotjänst (now known as Sveriges Radio) started broadcasting on 1 January 1925, Jerring became its presenter and announcer. He became the most popular radio personality of the time, also known as () to the Swedish public. His skillful and knowledgeable reporting and sports reports became well-known and he commentated on
Vasaloppet
( Swedish for 'the Vasa-race') is an annual long distance cross-country ski race held on the first Sunday of March. The course starts in the village of Berga, just south of Sälen in western Dalarna, Sweden, and ends in the town of Mora in t ...
annually from 1925.
The program ''
Barnens brevlåda'' had its premiere broadcast on the radio in 1925, and is one of the longest running radio programmes in Swedish history. When Jerring ended the show on 11 June 1972, 1785 episodes had already been broadcast, making it the world's longest-broadcast radio programme at the time. In 1977 he was awarded the
Illis quorum
''Illis quorum'' (''Illis quorum meruere labores'') ( English: "For Those Whose Labors Have Deserved It"), is a gold medal awarded for outstanding contributions to Swedish culture, science or society.
The award was introduced in 1784 by King Gu ...
.
Jerring died in Stockholm in April 1979 and was buried at
Norra begravningsplatsen
Norra begravningsplatsen, literally "The Northern Cemetery" in Swedish, is a major cemetery of the Stockholm urban area, located in Solna Municipality. Inaugurated on 9 June 1827, it is the burial site for a number of Swedish notables.
Notabl ...
.
Jerringfonden and Jerringpriset
On Jerring's 60th birthday in 1955, a collection was taken up amongst friends and colleagues. With this money he created the ('The Sven Jerring Foundation for physically and mentally disadvantaged children'), today known as ('the Jerring'). Over the years so much money has been donated to the foundation that it can give away five million kronor annually in the form of scholarships and research grants.
Radiosportens Jerringpris
The Jerring Award ( sv, Jerringpriset or "Radiosportens Jerringpris") is a prize established by Radiosporten, the sport section of Sveriges Radio, voted by its radio audience who choose the Swedish athlete or team that has made the best sport perf ...
is an annual award in Jerring's memory given to an athlete who has excelled in their sport, chosen by popular vote.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Jerring, Sven
1895 births
1979 deaths
Burials at Norra begravningsplatsen
People from Malung-Sälen Municipality
20th-century Swedish journalists
Recipients of the Illis quorum