RÚV Uses Dutch Jingle In Updated News Intro

On December 3, RÚV (Icelandic National Broadcasting Service) updated the intro sequence and jingle for its TV news broadcast, replacing the one since 2019.

The new jingle sparked lively discussions in the Facebook group ‘Hljóðnördar án landamæra’ (Sound nerds without borders), with members raising questions about its origins.

According to RÚV’s head of news Heiðar Örn Sigurvinsson, the new track comes from the Dutch sound company Pure Jingles. Approached by mbl.is, Heiðar claimed RÚV has a contract with the company, arguing: “These are specialists and that’s why we looked to them.”

Per RÚV’s legislation, RÚV is supposed to bolster Icelandic language, culture, history and cultural heritage, among other things. In addition, RÚV operates under a self-imposed music policy which specifies that 80% of all music performed should be Icelandic.

Iceland’s domestic cultural and music sector is estimated to provide approximately 3.5 percent of the country’s GDP, compared to the fishing industry’s four percent.