His parents were Hartvig Nikolaisen Kiran (1876-1953) and Elisabeth Pettersson (1886-1967). After artium in 1931, he studied philology at the University of Oslo. In 1938, he took employment in the news room of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK).
His parents were Hartvig Nikolaisen Kiran (1876-1953) and Elisabeth Pettersson (1886-1967). After graduating from the University of Oslo in 1931, he studied philology at the University of Oslo. In 1938, he began working for the news department of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK).