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RÚV

RÚV (Icelandic: Ríkisútvarpið, meaning "National Broadcasting") is the national public-service broadcasting organization of Iceland. It was founded in 1930 and operates from its headquarters in Reykjavík, as well as regional centers around the country.[1] RÚV runs two television channels — RÚV (which broadcasts all the time) and RÚV 2 (which only broadcasts for special events) — and two main radio stations, Rás 1 and Rás 2. It also runs Rondó, a classical and jazz music radio station launched in 2004.[1] RÚV is a member of the European Broadcasting Union and is responsible for selecting Iceland's entries to the Eurovision Song Contest.[2] It broadcasts mostly in the Icelandic language.

RÚV
Typeradio and television
Country
Iceland
AvailabilityNational; international (selected programmes via the Internet)
OwnerRepublic of Iceland
Key people
Stefán Eiríksson, Director General
Launch date
1930 (incorporation)
1930 (radio)
1966 (television)
Official website
www.ruv.is
Company information in English

Funding

RÚV is paid for by a flat licence fee collected from all Icelanders between the ages of 18 and 70, as well as by advertising revenue. In 2024, RÚV's total budget was ISK 9.15 billion (approximately €61 million), with ISK 6.13 billion coming from the licence fee and ISK 2.55 billion from advertising and sponsorship.[3] RÚV lost its monopoly as Iceland's only permitted broadcaster in 1986 and has faced competition from private broadcasters since then.[4]

Digital and Online

As of 2023, most people in Iceland access RÚV through the internet rather than traditional broadcast signals.[5] RÚV provides an app for Apple TV, iOS, Android TV and Android. Programmes can be watched free of charge from within Iceland. In 2024, RÚV launched RÚV Orð, a free service that lets Icelandic language learners watch RÚV programmes with interactive subtitles in ten languages, including English, French, German, Polish, Spanish and Ukrainian.[6]

Current programmes

Recurring

  • Fréttir, the main news programme at 7 p.m.
  • Kastljós, a news/talk programme (similar to Newsnight)
  • Kveikur, an explanatory news programme (similar to BBC's Panorama)
  • Gettu betur, a long-running game/quiz show
  • Vikan með Gísla Marteini, an entertainment/talk show
  • Landinn, a programme about rural locations in Iceland
  • Áramótaskaupið, a New Year's Eve comedy special with an audience of up to 90% of viewers
  • Jóladagatal Sjónvarpsins, an ongoing series of televised Advent calendars.

Other original programming

  • Verbúðin (Blackport), a series set in the 1980s in the Westfjords.
  • Brot (The Valhalla Murders)
  • Ófærð (Trapped), a mystery drama series set in Seyðisfjörður.
  • Ráðherran (The Minister)
  • Latibær (LazyTown)
  • Spaugstofan
  • Sigla himinfley, a 4-part drama mini-series

Animation

Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman sótt með Ruff Ruffman 2007-2019

Upcoming programmes

Former programmes

RÚV Media

  • Icelandic radio transmission network in 1981.

  • RÚV TV transmission network in 1981.

  • Logo of RÚV 2 (Iceland)

  • Logo of Rondó (Iceland)

  • RÚV's original 1930 headquarters until 1959.

  • Logo of RÚV

References

1. RUV founding, Headquarters, radio stations, Rondó Ríkisútvarpið https://www.ruv.is/um-ruv/about-ruv retried April 2026[6]

2. RUV's budget, license fee structure, and advertising revenue (2024 figures). State Media Monitor, MEdia and Journalism Research Center, August 9, 2024. https://statemediamonitor.com/2024/08/rikisutvarpid-ruv/ and State Media Monitor Global Dataset 2025 Zenodo https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17219015

3. Stefán Eiríksson appointed Director General of RUV (replacing Magnús Geir Þórðarson). European Broadcasting Union https://www.ebu.ch/news/2020/03/new-director-general-for-ruv

4. Satellite service VIA Thor 5 ended (Telanor ASA) ended mid 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%9AV_(TV_channel)

5. RUV is a member of the European Broadcasting Union: responsible for Iceland's Eurovision entries. Last updated April 2026 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%9AV_(TV_channel)

6. RUV lost it's broadcasting monopoly in 1986. February 7 2022 https://www.redtech.pro/ruv-strikes-balance-between-modernity-and-identity/

7. RÚV Orð language learning service launched in 2024 https://www.icelandreview.com/news/national-broadcaster-ruv-launches-new-icelandic-language-resource/

8. As of 2023 most Icelanders access RUV VIA the internet, March 2026 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%9AV

Other websites

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 About RÚVRÚV. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  2. ↑ European Broadcasting Union members. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  3. ↑ Ríkisútvarpið (RUV) (August 2024)State Media Monitor. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  4. ↑ RíkisútvarpiðWikipedia. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  5. ↑ National Broadcaster RÚV Launches New Icelandic Language Resource (June 11, 2024)Iceland Review. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  6. ↑ About RÚV - RÚV.is. RÚV (2022-11-21). Retrieved 2026-04-30.
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