Farewell to Stöð 2 and Vodafone: Rebranded as Sýn
A photographer from mbl.is arrived on the scene as Vodafone’s signage was being removed from Sýn’s office building. mbl.is/Eggert Jóhannesson
The well-known Icelandic media brands Stöð 2 and Vodafone have now officially merged under a new name: Sýn. The rebranding took effect today, according to mbl.is sources. Despite the change, evening news broadcasts will continue as before.
Employees of the company attended a staff meeting at Egilshöll yesterday, where the new direction and branding strategy were announced internally.
Here the new sign of Sýn is being put up where Vodafone was before. mbl.is/Eggert Jóhannesson
According to sources, viewers will still be able to watch live, linear programming, but it will now be branded under the Sýn name, instead of Stöð 2. Meanwhile, the newsrooms of Vísir and Bylgjan will continue operating unchanged.
Signage already removed
Out photographer witnessed Vodafone’s logo being removed from Sýn’s headquarters on Suðurlandsbraut last night, around 9 p.m. The Stöð 2 signage had already been taken down.
The name change has reportedly been in the works for some time, with an official public announcement expected tomorrow morning.
Heimir Karlsson. mbl.is/Kristinn Magnússon
An end of an era
“It’s going to hurt to see the name ‘Stöð 2’ disappear, even if the content stays in place,” said Heimir Karlsson, a veteran broadcaster, reacting to the rebrand in a Facebook post.
Karlsson was hired in 1985 as the first and only sports reporter for Stöð 2 at the time, when he was just 25 years old. Nearly 40 years later, he still holds the station close to his heart.
“It will be painful and bitter to see Stöð 2 go, but nothing lasts forever,” he wrote.
“I will never forget Stöð 2”
While Bylgjan will retain its name, unlike Stöð 2, all Sýn television content will now be published under the new Sýn branding.
Karlsson expressed gratitude for his time at Stöð 2, not just for his professional career, but also because it was there that he met his wife, Rúna Guðmundsdóttir.
Though he understands the decision made by Sýn's leadership, he emphasized:
“I will never forget Stöð 2 — and neither will tens of thousands of Icelanders.”
