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The financing to Latvian Television and Latvian Radio is allocated in the government budget in order to ensure public service order procurement. In 2017, Latvian Radio was allocated EUR 7.4 mln and Latvian Television EUR 14.5 mln.

The state auditors indicated the National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP) and the two public broadcasters lacked a common approach to planning the public service order procurement. The planning process, the auditors said, should be better organized so that it met public needs and interests and was not fragmented is accordance with each broadcaster’s work schedule.

“At present, the programs’ thematic structure is largely based on historical principles and has been adjusted to the existing structure and staff of the public media but not to comprehensively and professionally researched needs of the public,” the state auditors said.

The auditors stressed that the content carried by the public media should meet society’s diverse needs and interests and that it is therefore essential to analyze them in greater detail.