Imagine: You live in a small house with a sea view on an archipelago in the middle of the North Atlantic, and it's February 2022. First, there is an unusually large amount of snow, which covers the entire area, Tórshavn, cliffs, mountains, grass roofs in Gásadalur and all the island ridges. Then it gets stormy and rainy, roads slippery as glass, streams flood, pasture fences sink into the water, everything is one big slide. Because you are smart, you stay at home. Reading. Knitting. Being bored. Playing computer games. Streaming series, luckily there is fast internet almost everywhere on the islands. Binge-watching - and that’s when alarm bells go off for Ivan H. Niclasen, CEO of Kringvarp Føroya (the archipelago's public broadcaster, radio and television).
The influence of the English language on young Faroese is becoming more apparent by the day, Ivan Niclasen said recently. KvF's most important task, he stated, is to preserve the Faroese language and culture. "It is of course good that our youth has a varied supply of media content, but for us to stand a chance of competing for their attention, it is crucial that we find a way of future-proofing the financial basis of the Faroese media landscape." Of course he is right. Small languages must be preserved. After all, language always means identity. Namely in all kinds of weather.
Link: Føroysk mentan