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The European Commission has endorsed Latvian public funding plans intended to increase broadband access in remote regions. The aim of the initiative is to bring broadband communications within reach of citizens and businesses in order to help them reap the economic benefits of the information society. EC Treaty state aid rules allow subsidies for the development of certain economic activities or of certain economic areas on condition that there is no overall negative effect on competition (Article 87(3)c). The Commission concluded that the aid intended to support these plans is not likely to cause...

The Austrian Film Institute in Vienna and the Latvian Film Centre (Nacionālais kino centrs) signed a co-funding agreement on independent cinema film production on 22 May 2006. The parties’ intention in reaching the agreement is to co-operate on and mutually support film projects that are culturally, economically and in terms of content in the particular interests of both countries and are co-funded by Austrian and Latvian film-makers. Under paragraph 1 of the agreement, the Centre and the Austrian Film Institute will contribute to the cost of a co-production up to a maximum of EUR 250,000 per...

On 9 March 2006 the Saeima (Parliament of the Republic of Latvia) adopted in the second reading a draft law, prohibiting any political advertising in electronic media within 90 days before the elections to the Saeima and the European Parliament. Initially it was proposed that political advertising within 90 days before the elections should be prohibited in all the media. However, at the sitting of 9 March 2006 Saeima decided that the prohibition with respect to the printed media should be deleted from the draft. Thus, the prohibition would apply only to radio, television, and outdoor advertisements....

On 26 October 2005 the Saeima (Parliament of the Republic of Latvia) adopted amendments to the Act on Press and Other Mass Media. This Act is one of the first Laws adopted in Latvia after the regain of independence. It was adopted on 20 December 1990 and is still in force as the general Law applicable to all kinds of mass media. This Act is also the only Law regulating the printed media, as the electronic media are governed by the special Radio and Television Law as well. Initially the amendments were planned to be of a formal nature: to bring the out-of-date wording and terminology of the law...

Recently one of the private TV channels in Latvia - TV5 (the other private channels being TV3 and LNT) has fully changed its shareholders. The change has been accompanied by rumors and guesses in local press and media regarding the persons behind the new shareholders. As from 2 September 2005 the channel is owned by two companies registered in Latvia: Belokon News SIA (30%) and TVBerlin SIA (70%). Belokon News SIA is a company owned by a Latvian citizen, indirectly also owning one of the biggest daily newspapers published in Latvia in the Russian language, the Telegraf. The majority shareholder,...