Channel 2 news cuts leave Iceland with one TV newsroom

Jón Óttar Ragnarsson, a co-founder of Icelandic television station Stöð 2, says the country is once again left with only one television newsroom after the station ended its news service. He made the remarks in an opinion piece in Morgunblaðið marking 40 years since Stöð 2 began broadcasting, mbl.is reported.

“The last resort was to shut down news, so for the first time in 40 years Iceland is once again left with just one television newsroom,” Jón Óttar wrote. He said Stöð 2’s newsroom had brought real competition to the state broadcaster. The next step was the news magazine 1919, hosted by Vala Matt and Helgi Pétursson, which he said quickly became a hit.

Jón Óttar said people across age groups and communities had supported the station. He recalled that viewers were frustrated with what he described as the state broadcaster’s paternalism, limited programming, lack of children’s content and days without television broadcasts.

He said the loss of a second television newsroom meant genuine competition in television was over and left the Broadcasting Act of 1985 in intensive care. He also said the company had revived what he called the “suicidal ideas of Verslunarbanki,” making the dream of the bank’s older board members come true. He said the bank’s board had supported business plans different from his vision for the newsroom.