Young Independence Members Call It “Absurd” for the State to Handle Television News Alone

Iceland’s Young Independents have condemned the prospect of RÚV becoming the country’s only regular television evening news provider, calling the situation “absurd” for a free media system.

The group issued its statement after reports that Sýn would end its evening news broadcasts. It said the development was especially troubling as Iceland marks the 40th anniversary of free broadcasting. The statement also accused RÚV of repeatedly showing bias in its news coverage and criticized the public broadcasting fee paid by households.

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It is absurd that this situation has arisen in a Western democratic society where the state alone handles the transmission of television news.

The Young Independents said private media outlets were weakening while RÚV continued to expand. In its view, the public broadcaster uses billions of Icelandic krónur in state support to compete with private companies in newer areas, including podcasts, social media and other digital content.

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It is indefensible for a public broadcaster to compete with private media for limited advertising revenue while receiving billions from taxpayers.

The organization called for rapid action by Parliament. Its first proposed step is to remove RÚV from the advertising market, arguing that a state-funded broadcaster should not compete with private media for limited advertising revenue.

It also wants tighter limits on RÚV’s operations. The group said the broadcaster should leave the podcast market, face clearer boundaries on social media and focus on a clearly defined public-service role.

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A public broadcaster should not push into every new market that emerges.