Television in Iceland
Television in Iceland began in 1951 when the American Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) started an English-language television service broadcasting from Naval Air Station Keflavik, which operated until 2006. The first Icelandic-language television broadcasts started in September 1966 with the launch of Sjónvarpið. Channels can be received via DVB-T, broadband with Síminn, IPTV or Digital Ísland (DVB-T) from Vodafone Iceland.
List of channels
Free-to-air channels
| Channel name | Owner/parent company |
|---|---|
| RÚV | RÚV |
| RÚV 2 | RÚV |
| Tónlist | Sýn |
| Sjónvarp Símans | Síminn |
| Alþingi | Government of Iceland |
| Hringbraut | Hringbraut fjölmiðlar |
| N4 | N4 |
| Omega Christian television | Omega Kristniboðskirkja |
Subscription channels
| Channel name | Owner/parent company |
|---|---|
| Síminn Sport | Síminn |
| Stöð 2 | Sýn |
| Stöð 2 Bíó | Sýn |
| Stöð 2 Golf | Sýn |
| Stöð 2 Krakkar | Sýn |
| Stöð 2 Sport | Sýn |
| Stöð 2 Sport 2 | Sýn |
| Stöð 2 Sport 3 | Sýn |
| Stöð 2 Sport 4 | Sýn |
| Stöð 2 Sport 5 | Sýn |
| Stöð 2 Sport 6 | Sýn |
| Stöð 3 | Sýn |
Defunct channels
- ÍNN - Owned and operated by Ingvi Hrafn Jónsson
- iSTV
- NFS, now a news service providing news for visir.is and television channels of 365
- Skjár tveir, was meant to be an ad-free channel paid for by the viewers. It didn't go as planned and soon merged with Skjár einn.
- Stöð 1, launched 29 Oct 2010. Entertainment channel, free to air, non-subscription. Reaches 98% of all households in Iceland.
- Stöð þrjú, the old channel was used. But was bought quickly and shut down in the meaning, it was replaced by Stöð 2.
- Skjár sport, showed Premier League matches for the seasons 2005–2006 and 2006–2007.
- Stöð 2 Extra (previously called Sirkus) Entertainment channel previously available as free but is now only available as a complement to Stöð 2 subscription
- Nova TV (previously called Sirkus and before that Popp Tíví), music videos – free channel
- Fasteignasjónvarpið, a channel that offers real estate
- Mikligarður, opened 15 March 2014 – closed 1 July 2014. Intended for ages 34+ with an emphasis on females. Programming was all domestic and included paid presentations. Broadcasts was 24/7 and in HD.
International channels available in Iceland
Additional international channels are available in Iceland through Vodafone Iceland and Síminn:
Overview of Icelandic TV
Test card for RÚV
The testcard of RÚV was PM5544, introduced in the 1970s.
Text has been changed three times, minor change five times, returned two times
- 1970–1994 – "RUV – ISLAND"
- 1993 – "RÚV – ÍSLAND"
- 1995 – Added time and date
- 2000 – Remove time and date
- Remove "ÍSLAND" and replace with the moving bar
- 2002 – Return the 1995 version
- 2006 – Return the 2000 version
- 2009 – Changed to PM5644
RÚV's testcard uses test tone but the last 15 minutes before programs start plays classical music.
Closing and opening times
RÚV still closes down at night.
RÚV
- 1966–present opens at 16:30 for weekdays and closes at 0:00.
- 1966–2004 Weekends and holidays open at 9:00, though sometimes with midday break.
- 2004–present weekends and holidays open at 8:00.
Stöð 2
- 1986–1988 opens at 8:00 and close at 23:00.
- 1988–1995 opens at 6:00 and close at 0:00.
- 1995–present open 24 hours.
External links
- (in Icelandic) Sjónvarp Símans
- (in Icelandic) Icelandic Media Commission list of registered media (in Icelandic)
- (in Icelandic) Icelandic Media Commission list of licensed media (in Icelandic)
