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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...

The current Latvian Constitution, in the version of 23 September 2004, is based on the Latvian Constitution of 15 February 1922. This was adopted on 1 July 1993 and has been amended several times since. The entire Chapter VIII, which lays down fundamental human rights, was added in 1998. Freedom of expression is enshrined in Article 100, which states that everyone has the right to freedom of expression, which includes the right to freely receive, keep and distribute information and to express their views. Censorship is prohibited. However, freedom of expression is not an absolute right. Article...

On 16 September 2004 the National Broadcasting Council of Latvia (the Council) adopted a decision to approve the Concept of the introduction of digital terrestrial television (DVB-T) in Latvia. The Concept had been drafted by a working group including the representatives of major broadcasters of Latvia, as well as government officials and NGOs. The Concept outlines three phases of the introduction of DVB-T in Latvia, taking into account that terrestrial television is the major provider of national television broadcasting in Latvia. In the first phase, the programs in DVB-T standard shall be distributed...