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Saeima, the Parliament of Latvia, is planning to make a short, but important amendment to the Radio and Television law, stipulating that the prohibition of harmful content is in force in the period between 07.00 - 24.00, instead of the current period of 07.00 - 22.00. The existing regulation is as follows: Article 18 section 4 of Radio and Television Act envisages that ”[B]roadcasting organisations may not distribute programmes and broadcasts with such content as may be harmful to the normal physical, mental and moral development of children and adolescents, except in cases when a specific broadcasting...

Since the beginning of 2004 two new legislative acts in the media field are being drafted in Latvia. The Radio and Television Law and a new Public Service Broadcasting Law are intended to replace the existing Radio and Television Law of 1995. However, because this issue is both politically and economically sensitive (regarding the legal status and powers of the regulatory authority and the financing of public service broadcasters), the drafting has still to be completed. Currently the drafts initially prepared by the Saeima (Parliament) Commission on Human Rights and Social Issues are dealt with...

The National Broadcasting Council of Latvia is participating in a joint project with a NGO to monitor surreptitious political advertising in connection with the forthcoming Municipal Elections on 12 March 2005. The Council has set up a special commission to monitor radio and television broadcasts for hidden political advertising. Although political advertising is permitted in Latvia, it must be clearly identified and indicate who has paid for it. The experience of previous elections raised doubts as to whether broadcasters were always observing this rule. During this round, programmes will be monitored...

At the end of year 2004 new amendments were passed concerning the Radio and Television Law. The majority of these amendments were of mainly technical character, connected with the coming into force of the new Electronic Communications Law. However, one amendment touched a rather sensitive issue and was passed after much discussion in public and in governmental quarters. The Article 19 of the Radio and Television law was supplemented with the fifth paragraph in the following reading: “If the Cabinet of Ministers establishes, that in a certain territory of the country there is a threat to the use...

SIA Baltkom TV, one of the largest cable broadcasters in Latvia, has recently started broadcasting in digital format. In May 2004 the company had launched already digital broadcasting programs in its cable networks in Riga. On 24 September 2004 the company switched its MMDS (Multichanel Multipoint Distribution System) broadcasting technology to the digital format. Digital television can be received within a 50 km range of Riga, where the television broadcasting tower is located. The offer includes 49 television channels and 6 radio channels. In order to access the new service consumers must become...