Akureyri - 20.11.2014, Qupperneq 22

22 43. tölublað 4. árgangur 20. nóvember 2014
THE ENGLISH CORNER WITH MICHAEL CLARKE
Broadcasting
The Icelandic National Broa-
dcasting Service or RUV for short
has been operating since 1930.
Originally modelled on the B.B.C.
for many years it had the monopoly
on broadcasting in this country. Its
charter demands that it “promote
the Icelandic language, Icelandic
history, and Iceland’s cultural her-
itage” and “honour basic
democratic rules, human
rights, and the freedom
of speech and opinion.”
The television station
was started in 1966, and
it is possible to say that
until 1986 when it lost
its monopoly it stuck
pretty well to this chart-
er. Freedom of speech,
however, has always
had a pretty hard time.
During these years Icelanders were
able to feast on gripping intervi-
ews about the historic influence of
the Njals Saga, become musically
enthralled by the latest elect-
ronic avant garde compositions
by modern Icelandic composers,
and listen to discussions about
architecture, dance and visual arts
which are even more captivating
when done on the radio when you
haven’t a hope in hell of knowing
what they are talking about AS
YOU CAN’T SEE IT.
With the start of television one
would expect that programs on art
might be a bit more successful on
the small screen, but no, they are
still going strong on steam radio.
Unlike the Beeb which had been
the foster father of the service,
adverts were allowed. These were
read out endlessly
with all the commit-
ment of an abdication
speech, relentlessly and
unenthusiastically and
repetitively. And the
Christmas announcem-
ents went on for days
on end as every Aunt
Gunna and Uncle Jon
sent greetings to ev-
eryone they knew or
had ever met at funer-
als. Gripping stuff!
Everything changed in 1986,
and with the private stations came
POP CULTURE. Adverts were
read with Enthusiasm. People said
Funny Things. There was music in
the background. And being excited
(hress) was the only way to be!
Not wishing to appear old-
-fashioned, RUV quickly jumped
on the bandwagon with a second
radio channel, and banished seri-
ous discussion, high culture and
architecture filling its wavel-
engths with stuff people wanted
to hear. Everybody spoke with
roller-coaster intonation invaria-
bly raising their voices at the end
of sentences, in defiance of all
they had been taught at school.
And it has became impossible for
the modern radio listener to cope
with anyone saying anything at
all unless it was accompanied by
jungle drums. But the old steam
radio station still chugged on.
Now RUV is in serious financial
trouble. The electronic cacophony
has gone, and the discussion of Njals
Saga has been moved to Sunday
morning at 5.00 a.m. The last ve-
stige of classical singing “last song
before the news” has been moved
somewhere in between the tur-
gid announcements and the jungle
drums just to ensure that everyone
misses it. It can only be a matter of
time before we get to enjoy the funer-
al announcements accompanied by
Of Monsters and Men.
But the visual arts and
architecture are still occupy-
ing primetime slots. And with
Christmas looming we all look
forward to the days of greetings
from Aunty Gunna and Uncle Jon
read out in sombre tone. Wouldn’t
be Christmas without them!
Michael Clarke
www.n1.is facebook.com/enneinn
ÍS
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71614 11/14
N1 Akureyri
Tryggvabraut 3
sími 440 1438
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Mættu
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Í tilkynningu frá þeim stöll-
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verks, vandamál leyst og ákvarð-
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Björg Marta Gunnarsdótt-
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ur frá IED hönnunarskólanum
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Rocha í Dublin á Írlandi strax eftir
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ur á síðustu tíu árum bæði haldið
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hannaði vörur fyrir búðina Frúin í
Hamborg sem Þorbjörg rak á sín-
um tíma ásamt Guðrúnu Jónsdóttur.
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17. a