Centre Party MPs propose abolishing Iceland’s Media Commission

Members of Iceland’s Centre Party have introduced a bill to abolish the Media Commission and simplify media administration, mbl.is reports. Bergþór Ólason is the bill’s lead sponsor, and Sigmundur Davíð is its sixth sponsor.

The bill has three stated aims: to maintain Iceland’s obligations under the European Economic Area agreement, particularly on audiovisual media services; to remove administrative, registration, information and oversight requirements that go beyond those obligations and are not considered necessary; and to distinguish more clearly between public oversight of legally regulated media activities and editorial freedom.

The Media Commission was established by law in 2011, taking over the duties of the Broadcasting Rights Committee and gaining a broader remit. It was given oversight not only of traditional audio and video media, but also of all other media. The law also introduced a general registration requirement for media covered by it, which the bill’s explanatory notes described as an additional burden intended to help authorities monitor the market and carry out oversight.

The bill’s sponsors say the media landscape has changed substantially since then. Individuals can now easily distribute audio, video, commentary and news analysis without the institutional structures that characterised media when the law was passed. The explanatory notes say this makes it more important for lawmakers to set clear limits on when such activity becomes subject to state licensing or oversight.