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Latvian Television's Channel 3 to feature broad variety of programs

BC, Riga, 08.04.2015.Print version
Channel 3 of the Latvian State Television (LTV) will be a TV channel in Russian with subtitles in Latvian, with the exception of live broadcasts, according to the initial version of the channel's concept, reports LETA.

The new channel will feature news, latest and analytical information, recreational programs and shows, films and TV series, programs for children. According to the concept, the TV channel will also have editorial offices for social networks, which will also be responsible for a Russian-language version of the Lsm.lv public media portal.

 

The content for the new channel will be based on the current news and documentary programs in Russian produced by LTV. The television will also commission content from independent producers and local/regional electronic media in Latgale province. Part of the LTV1 content and programs in Latvian from the television's archives, which promote European values, will also be adapted for the new channel.

 

The recreational part of the new channel will mostly feature programs in Russian, produced in Ukraine and elsewhere, without any ideological slant. Latvian State Radio's Channel 4 will also contribute to content generation for the new TV channel.

 

The work on the concept of the LTV Channel 3 is continuing, and members of the general public are welcome to contribute, the National Electronic Mass Media Council told LETA.

 

The new TV channel's cost is estimated to be about the same as that of a similar new channel being created in Estonia, which will be launched this fall. The Estonian TV channel's budget is currently projected at approximately EUR 4 million.

 

According to the Electronic Mass Media Council, the increasing proportion of Russian-language programs on LTV7 channel was to be considered as a pilot project for a full-scale Russian-language television, because, being part of a Latvian-language television, these programs would fail to reach the target audience in an efficient way, said the Electronic Mass Media Council's Chairman Ainars Dimants.

 

The council has also drawn up its estimates regarding the new television channel's budget in the 2016-2018 period, and submitted them to the Finance Ministry for consideration.

 

The concept of the new TV channel is being created by the LTV Programming Department under the LTV board member Sergejs Nesterovs. The team also includes experienced LTV editors, lawyers, technological experts, and others.

 

The concept is based on two public opinion surveys commissioned by the Electronic Mass Media Council and carried out by the SKDS research center to find out residents' general attitude toward television and TV audiences' expectations from a new TV channel aimed at consolidating society.

 

As reported, the National Electronic Mass Media Council decided on March 19 to approve the establishment of a Latvian Television channel in Russian.

 

The channel is to be established in collaboration with Estonia. The estimated costs will be similar to Estonia's calculated costs. The TV3 show "Neka personiga" reported that, according to the National Electronic Mass Media Council's estimates, the state will be requested to cover EUR 3 million as of 2016, EUR 5.3 million in 2017, and EUR 5.6 million in 2018. This is significantly more than Estonia's cost estimates, which stipulate EUR 2.5 million for 2015 and EUR 4 million for the coming years. The official cost estimates have not yet been revealed, as the channel's concept is still in development.






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