RADIO IN ICELAND

New Zealand Listener, Volume 12, Issue 311, 8 June 1945, Page 11

RADIO IN ICELAND

They Also Broadcast Parliament A"™ article on Iceland’s Broadcasting Service, printed in the "New York Times’ this year, reveals some interesting points about the use of radio in an island country like our own, where Parliament is broadcast, and the financing is a compromise between licence fees and commercial programmes. It is written by Dave Driscoll, director of special events for WOR (a New York radio station which caters for musical tastes) after a tour of the North Atlantic Division bases of the Army Air Transport command, and it comes to us through the American Office of War Information.

AR out over the icy waters of the North Atlantic in communities which in the past have been mere dots on a map, radio broadcasting is as commonplace as it is in the United States (says Mr. Driscoll). It has been so, in one instance, for 15 years. This is in Iceland, where there is a 100 kilowatt station operated by the Iceland State Broadcast Service. Government-owned, it nevertheless operates as a commercial station. Its studios are located on two floors of the five-storey Telephone and Broadcast Building in Reykjavik. Established back in 1930, it operated as an independent establishment under the control of the Ministry of Education. The active administration of the station is headed by General Director Jonas Thorbergason. The Reykjavik transmitter is not operating with maximum power at present, because of wartime regulations. In normal times, as at present, its signal is relayed by another 100 kilowatt transmitter at Eidar, in the eastern part of the island. The necessity in the Reykjawk station and the relay point for 100 kilowatt power (compared with 2YA’s 60 kilowatts) is simply that Iceland is a rocky, mountainous and volcanic island. During winter months the highway around the island is often completely blocked with snow. Therefore it is essential that radio should completely cover the country. Iceland’s basic industry is fishing, and a big percentage of the male population is usually at sea, another

reason why radio is such an essential tie with the culture of the country. The Icelandic programmes are supervised by a programme council, consisting of five members chosen by the Althing, the Government legislative assembly. The council is appointed after each general election. One of them is appointed chairman by the Ministry of Education. From the Althing The Icelanders possess a culture that would be difficult to equal anywhere in the world, and are receptive to educational programmes. The Althing is the oldest Parliament in the world and dates back to the year 900. It is not surprising that the radio schedule includes broadcasts of political discussions direct from the Althing. This practice is similar to the one recently proposed by Senator Claude Pepper, of Florida, who believes broadcasts should be made from the floor of Congress. The Icelandic air is filled with political debates and discussions prior to the general -elections, just as it is here on similar occasions. In fact, there are more broadcasts of a political nature there than in any other Scandinavian country. Approximately 2400 broadcast hours are poured out of the transmitters annually. An American visiting in Iceland is less hgndicapped through his inability- to speak the native language than in any other foreign language country. Almost every Icelander speaks Engiish as weil as Danish and German. The languages are compulsory courses in all schools. Thus, it is not surprising to find them being taught by radio. They even went in for Esperanto for several years, later abandoning it. Chiefly Music Music makes up more than 40 per cent. of the radio schedule. The music is basically Scandinavian, but American swing has now a small niche of its own. The thousands of American troops stationed there brought in the swing. News broadcasts make up a little over 17 per cent. of the programme, iaiks and readings more than 10 per cent. Commercial broadcasts and licence fees provide the revenue for the operation of the stations, but the former fill only about 6 per cent. of the schedule. Reykjavik, the largest city on the island, has a population of only 45,000. Thus, there are not many sponsors to be found. The Icelandic technical equipment. is superb. They are able to do anything we do in the United States. Mobile units and portable recorders ‘are as commonplace there as they are here. The tricks they are able to do with recordings more than equal our best production efforts in the United States. The experience of a visit to Iceland is not only pleasant, but illuminating. The modern nature of their broadcasting organisation is typical of the culture of the little island, which before the age of the aeroplane was one of the most remote places in the world. |