Útsendingar

Útsendingar is the Icelandic term for broadcast transmissions, referring to the act of sending out radio, television, or other programmed content to an audience. The word combines 'út' (out) with 'sending' (sending), and is used in Icelandic media and telecommunications to describe both live and pre-recorded programming as well as other signal transmissions.

Traditionally, útsendingar encompassed terrestrial radio and television broadcasts via over-the-air transmissions, as well as satellite, cable, and microwave links that deliver signals to viewers and listeners. With the growth of the internet, the concept has expanded to include live online broadcasts and web streams, though in colloquial use 'straumur' (stream) is also used for on-demand or real-time online delivery.

In Iceland, útsendingar are produced and distributed by public and private broadcasters. The public service broadcaster Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV) and commercial stations perform regular útsendingar as part of their programming schedules. Regulatory oversight of broadcasting—frequency allocation, licensing, and content standards—falls to the national communications authorities, in line with international conventions.

See also: broadcasting; radio; television; streaming.