The history of SvF goes back to the 1960s. In 1969, the Faroese parliament (Løgting) decided to create an organisation for developing TV facilities on the islands under public law. A 1978 law set into motion the establishment of the network, which was founded as "Sjónvarp Føroya" in 1981. A furniture store in the capital Tórshavn was converted into a TV studio in 1983. On 1 April 1984 the first Faroese programme was launched; however, private local TV associations had been transmitting for six years. The regular operation of SVF started on 1 September of that same year.