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The Latvian legislator is considering an amendment to the Likums Par presi un citiem masu informācijas līdzekļiem (Act on Press and Other Mass Media), which would require the revealing of the true media owners. Currently, the Act does not impose any special requirements on printed or electronic media regarding the revealing of their owners. The legal owners of media, similar to owners of other companies, may be discovered at the Companies Register of the Republic of Latvia. However, the Companies Register contains information on the direct shareholders only. Thus, if the direct owner of a media...

On 13 November 2010 the Latvian Competition Council (CC) adopted a decision allowing the merger of the two largest cable TV operators in Latvia, the Baltkom Group and the Izzi Group. The case is interesting in terms of the market definition provided, as well as taking into account that the merger was allowed despite the fact that it will result in the market power of the new merged cable operator. In its market analysis the CC had to establish whether the pay-television market constitutes a single relevant product market, or whether it should be divided into separate relevant product markets according...

In recent times Latvia has been undergoing a legislative procedure to adopt a new Electronic Media Law that is intended to transpose the AVMSD and to replace the 1995 Radio and Television Law (see IRIS 2010-7: 1/28). Now, after a period of long and challenging discussions and actions by various stakeholders and officials the new law is finally adopted and has come into force. The previous reports on the review of the draft Electronic Media Law have already reflected the complicated and slow movement of the draft through the Saeima (Parliament). Saeima adopted the draft Electronic Media Law at the...

On 17 June 2010 a new Film Act was adopted in Latvia. This is the first primary legislative act governing the film industry, production and regulation in Latvia. Previously, the area was not regulated by any comprehensive legal act. Certain issues were regulated by secondary legislative acts: Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 588 of 26 July 2005 "The regulation of the State agency National Film Centre (NFC)"; Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 487 of 20 November 2001 "Regulations of the film distribution"; Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 429 of 10 June 2008 "The Order...

As reported previously (see IRIS 2009-10: 16/22) Latvia is planning to adopt a new Electronic Media Law which is intended to transpose the AVMSD. The Electronic Media Law (Draft) is not the first draft intended to replace the 1995 Radio and Television Law currently in force. As media laws have traditionally been a widely discussed topic among the Latvian public, the previous attempts have been unsuccessful. Also, the progress of the Draft in the Saeima (Latvian Parliament) is far from smooth. However, it may be hoped that this draft will be adopted, as otherwise Latvia may face severe consequences...