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RÚV (TV channel)

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Sjónvarpið
TypeBroadcast television network
Country
 Iceland
AvailabilityNational; also partially distributed over the Internet
OwnerRÚV, the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service
Key people
Bjarni Guðmundsson, managing director
Elín Hirst, news editor and anchor,
Þórhallur Gunnarsson, editor of Kastljós,
Páll Magnússon, president of RÚV
Launch date
September 30, 1966
Official website
www.ruv.is

Sjónvarpið (English: The Television) is the television channel of the National Icelandic Broadcasting Service (RÚV), launched in 1966. The channel broadcasts primarily news, sports, cultural programs, children's material, American & British films and entertainment programming. Its highest-rated programs are the comedy sketch show Spaugstofan and Fréttir, íþróttir og veður (News, Sports and Weather).

History

The network made its first transmission on September 30 1966. To begin with, transmissions only took place on Wednesdays and Fridays, only gradually expanding to the rest of the week through the years. Until 1983, no television was broadcast in July. Having lost its monopoly and sharing the market with Stöð 2 a year before, Sjónvapið ended the era of television-free Thursdays on October 1 1987, resulting in the first full week of television in Iceland.

Test colour transmission commenced in 1973 and started full-time in 1976. From September 1981 onwards, Sjónvarpið greatly benefited from Iceland's connection to the rest of the world via satellite. Starting on March 1, 1982, Icelandic television viewers were able to watch daily reports from abroad on their evening newscast. Live broadcasts from the rest of Europe, such as the Eurovision Song Contest, commenced for the first time in May 1986. RÚV's teletext service, Textavarp, was inaugurated on the 25th anniversary of Icelandic television in 1991.

As late as 2000, television only aired for seven hours each day, starting at 5 p.m. and ending at midnight. The number of hours of television aired per week has advanced since then, with transmissions currently starting at 8 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. During the week, however, television transmissions can start any time between 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., ending between 12 a.m. and 1 a.m. Transmissions are only interrupted in the case of a national emergency, urgent news bulletins (such as the death of the Prime Minister), or weather warnings (including, but not limited to, snowstorms, high winds, and volcano eruptions).

List of programs (incomplete)

Domestic shows

  • Áramótaskaupið (English: The New Year's Comedy), an annual New Year's Eve comedy special.
  • Ensku mörkin (English: The English Goals), a sports show.
  • Formúlukvöld (English: Formula Night), a sports show.
  • Fréttir, íþróttir og veður (English: News, Sports and Weather), the main news program at 7 p.m.
  • Gettu betur (English: Guess Again), a quiz show.
  • Helgarsportið (English: Weekend Sport), a sports show.
  • Kastljós (English: Spotlight), a news/talk program
  • Spaugstofan (English: The Comedy Room), a weekly comedy show.
  • Tíufréttir (English: News at 10), the late evening news at 10 p.m.
  • Út og suður (English: There and Back), interviews with interesting individuals living around Iceland

International shows

Children's shows

Cancelled classical or widely acclaimed shows

  • Á tali hjá Hemma Gunn (English: Talking with Hemmi Gunn), a Saturday night talk show.
  • Nýjasta tækni og vísindi (English: Latest Technology and Science)

See also

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