Baltic States – CIS, Latvia, Legislation, Markets and Companies

She admitted that government minister supported the initiative, and that this project should be moved forward.

As reported, Latvian State Television (LTV) is planning to establish a Russian-language TV channel that will broadcast news programs and Russia and Ukraine-produced TV series, devoid of any kind of propaganda, in the Baltic countries, LTV CEO Ivars Belte told the Nozare.lv business portal last week.

The idea was also presented to LTV colleagues and high-ranking officials in Lithuania and Estonia last week, and they approved of the idea in principle.

According to Belte, every day about sixteen hours of the new channel would be taken up by films and TV series produced in Ukraine and Russia. The rest of the time the channel would broadcast local news, for instance, the "Morning Panorama" that would inform the audiences in Latvia about the developments in the country, and in Estonia and Lithuania - about the developments in these respective countries. Also, one news program could look into pan-Baltic developments, added Belte.

The new TV channel would also offer various other broadcasts and discussions.

It is estimated that buying films and TV shows to be aired on the new TV channel would cost about EUR 2 million annually, plus the cost of locally-produced broadcasts and programs which are yet to be calculated. These costs would be covered by all three countries together.

LTV is currently waiting for further response from the neighbor countries. If they support the idea, it will be then presented to the national Electronic Mass Media Council, Culture Ministry and other institutions.

So far the Foreign Ministry has expressed support for the idea and promised to help LTV implement the project. How long it could take, however, is not currently clear. "This depends on three finance ministries," added Belte.