Yesterday evening marked 90 years since the first radio news broadcast in Iceland, RÚV reports. Today marks the 90-year anniversary of the first full day of radio programming in Iceland, broadcast by Iceland’s national broadcaster RÚV. The first news story ever broadcast, on December 20, 1930, covered the global depression. The following day was a Sunday, and the radio programming featured two church services, as well as music, children’s stories, more news, and – of course – weather.
The arrival of radio in 1930 was revolutionary for Iceland’s small, dispersed population. Today the medium remains important in Icelandic culture and daily life. For example, many Icelanders consider the official start of Christmas to be the sound of bells ringing on the radio at 6.00pm on December 24.
To learn more about the radio’s history and significance in Iceland, read our story A Window to the World: How the Radio Led Iceland Into Nationhood.
