Latvia

[LV] Digital Future for the Television in Latvia

IRIS 2003-3:1/24

Lelda Ozola

MEDIA Desk Latvia Riga

The Digitalais Latvijas radio un televizijas centrs (the Digital Latvian Radio and Television Centre - DLRTC), concerned with the introduction of digital television in Latvia, published an announcement in February 2003 stating that it is planned to secure the coverage of digital television throughout the Republic of Latvia by the year 2005. The Centre's plan envisages that digital television will begin to operate in Riga-Capital as well as in the Riga Region already by autumn this year. Thus, the broadcasting stations' expenses for the use of the channels would - according to the plan - decrease by 30%, enabling them to invest more means in the production of content. Additional costs for viewers shall be restricted to those Latvia relating to acquiring receivers, whereby these technical elements are implemented in the most up-to-date TV-sets already available. The DLRTC plans to subsidise the acquisition of the receivers by the dividends the Centre has received from the shares in the mobile communications operator "Latvijas Mobilais Telefons". Thus the Centre will not require additional financing from the state budget.

As the introduction of digital television will incur high costs, the Centre predicts that the transition period from analogue to digital television shall be quite long. The plan envisages a switch-over region-by-region and aims to introduce the digital television gradually while analogue television remains operational in parallel. In addition to the argument about costs, it will also take time for people to grasp the advantages of digital television as being able to receive several TV and radio stations through one channel, as well as making use of the wide range of interactive services similar to those on the Internet.