Reykjavík Grapevine - 03.12.2004, Side 10

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…BUT WHO WILL BECOME AMERICA´S
NEXT TOP MODEL?
Getting up at ten on this frost-bitten morning was not a
tempting option for those that had stayed in the night before,
watching one of the 43 channels available on new technological
wonder Digital Ísland from Norðurljós /Ogvodafone. Even if
Reykjavíkur Akademían’s media centre got ready to discuss the
technical advances of Icelandic television, free speech and the recent
merges of the biggest Icelandic television “giants” with the nations
two telecom companies.
Media-and telecom specialist Elfa
Ýr Gylfadóttir argued that it was
time for consumers to ask themselves
how much they were ready to pay
for a diverse television system since,
because of Iceland’s size, the systems
bringing home entertainment were
rather ineffective. Because of the
question of how to get content to the
viewer cost-effectively, the question
of what is getting to the viewer
seems to be lost in the race. Hence
more channels do not mean more
information. The role of the media
as an informative public service is in
danger. Therefore an independent
public broadcast medium is still
needed.
According to Logi Bergmann,
state channel RÚV should be
that medium but does not have
the financial support necessary to
function properly, being a publicly
owned service. But is national
television supposed to offer the
same programs as commercial
television? Shouldn’t its appeal be
that it is different, there for the
people, informing them instead of
leading them into numbness and
entertainment that is forgotten as
soon as you change the channel?
As I walked back to my icy car, my
thoughts strayed back to who would
become America’s next top model.
The Void on RÚV
Submitted article
After unpacking his bags in his
hotel room, one of the first things
that a visitor to Iceland will do is
search for the remote and sample
the networks. Knowing that one
of the channels is occupied by the
state-owned television (RÚV) they
decide to linger awhile, beyond the
news, to see what RÚV has to offer.
They certainly recognize the show
that follows. Apart from the subtitles
our visitors could easily forget that
they’ve arrived in Iceland. The only
upcoming Icelandic show won’t be
aired until next weekend.
RÚV’s station director Markús Örn
Antonsson claims that Icelanders
look upon his network as the anchor
among the media. No doubt he
means that RÚV can be relied on
whatever storms may rage. But RÚV
may also just be the anchor that
keeps the industry stuck in a rut.
Regrettably, RÚV’s management is
nervous and not without reason. It
knows that its form of ownership
is disputed and privatization looms
over the horizon. So it uses the most
handy and superficial means available
to justify its existence in its current
form: ratings. It’s driven by the
ambition to air, above all, popular
shows. It’s competing for audience
with the other networks that,
incidentally, rely heavily on foreign
programming, too. So RÚV has
assumed the role of a mere catch-up
player. It may attract enough viewers
to rank highest on the ratings charts.
But having the most popular US
show doesn’t say much about RÚV’s
merits. And it doesn’t imply real
leadership, let alone originality. It’s
as simple as that.
Icelanders love RÚV. There is no
doubt about that, even with the
mandatory subscription fee imposed
on anyone who owns a television set
in Iceland. However, they would love
RÚV even more if it produced high-
quality shows, real stuff that could
be sold worldwide, bringing back
originality and real leadership. And
away may even go the subscription
fees.
by Sara Kolka
THE MEDIA DEBATE, YET AGAIN.
Anti-War Protestors Buy New York Times Ad
Everyone was there. Steingrímur J. Sigfússon, chairman of the
Left-Green Party, Össur Skarphéðinsson, chairman of Samfylkingin
Social Democratic Party, even Steingrímur Hermannsson, in
his days as Prime Minister for the Progressive Party the very
embodiment of client-patron politics but after retirement acting as
the concience of the nation.
They were joining writers Andri Snær Magnason and
Hallgrímur Helgason, singer Bubbi Morthens who sang
his anti-war song “Fastur liður” and a host of others in
opposing the governments support for the war in Iraq.
This time, however, their opposition was taking a more
concrete form. At an afternoon meeting at Hotel Borg
on December 1st plans to take out a full page ad in The
New York Times were announced. The ad will state
that the citizens of Iceland protest against Icelandic
authorities support for the war in Iraq and that with
partaking in Coalition of the Willing violated Icelandic
as well as international law.
This follows a similar advertisement taken out by
Norwegians in The Washington Post.
“Two men insist that a telephone conversation between
them is enough to set Icelandic foreign policy, and buy
whatever they´re being told out of the propaganda and
lie factory in Washington,” says Steingrímur J. in a not
too veiled refrence to then Foreign Minister Halldór
Ásgrímsson and Prime Minister Davíð Oddsson, who
have recently switched places without, however, any
elections been conducted in the meantime. Steingrímur
J. had at the time a seat on the Parliamentary foreign
affairs committee which was not consulted. Steingrímur
is not a part of The Movement for Active Democracy
in Iceland responsible for the ad campaign, but says he
supports it wholeheartedly. “I know of an Icelandic aid
worker in Iraq who is afraid to say she is Icelandic as she
has reason to believe this will incur hostility. Instead,
she says she is Scandinavian. Iceland should take part
in reconstruction in Iraq, but this must be done under
UN supervision once the Americans are out. I don´t
think anyone can call what is going on in Fallujah at the
moment reconstruction.”
Foreign Minister Oddsson had the previous weekend
coined the phrase “conservative communist midgets” to
describe those opposed to the war.
The New York Times ad will cost between 3 and 4
million krónur. Any money left over from the collection
will go to the Icelandic Red Cross for aid to Iraq. The
collection will go on until Christmas at least. Anyone
interested in participating can call 90 20000, a phone
call will donate 1000 krónur. You can also submit
freely to 1150-26-833 Spron (Þjóðarhreyfingin: Kt:
640604-2390). For more information, go to www.
tjodarhreyfingin.is
by Valur Gunnarsson
Iceland Gets Cruel
A man was sentenced to pay Cruel
Site of the Day (www.cruel.com),
a very popular satirical catalogue
of the Internet’s more bizarre
websites, added to its roster the
website of Icelandic “graphic
poet” Örvar. The site features
poetry, written by the author,
adorning computer-generated
images. Is this site cruel or cool?
Judge for yourself at http://pho-
tos.heremy.com/coldfires/index.
php?goto=showalbum&album_
id=41162. Two words: guest book.
Two Potential Hostages On
the Way to Iraq
Two Icelanders went to Iraq about
a month ago to do “peacekeeping
work” for a British company. Both
men were former policemen and
who were fired for unlawful arrest,
among other charges. The nature
of their work in Iraq is not being
disclosed.
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