The Media Outlet has been independently certified according to the JTI Programme and CWA 17493:2019.
Certified by
Deloitte
Date of certification
02/12/2024
Contact details
477 Collins Street
3000 Melbourne
Australia
Media Outlet Latvian Television Date of first publication 13/11/2024 Date of Latest Change 27/09/2024
3. Public Service Media
3.1. Public Service Media Mission, Governance and Independence
The Media Outlet shall describe its public service mission and the legal instrument on which it is based. It shall describe its governance structure, including the role of all relevant governance bodies or organisations (for example, regulator, supervisory board, government/parliament role). It shall state how its financial income is generated and what proportion of its financial resources are totally or partially provided by public funds. It shall state if both external and internal governance measures guarantee its editorial independence.
Is the Media Outlet a Public Service Media?
YesWhat is the public service mission for which it is responsible?
The objective of public media is stated in the Law on Public Electronic Mass Media and Administration Thereof.
It says "The general strategic objective of public electronic mass media is to strengthen the democratic structure of Latvia, freedom of speech and a sense of belonging to Latvia among the inhabitants of Latvia, to tend to the Latvian language and national culture in accordance with the Constitution, this Law and other laws."
Public service mission in greater detail are laid down in Public service procurement, given to LTV by Public Electronic Media Council and can be accesed here: https://www.seplp.lv/lv/sabiedrisko-mediju-pasutijums
It says "The general strategic objective of public electronic mass media is to strengthen the democratic structure of Latvia, freedom of speech and a sense of belonging to Latvia among the inhabitants of Latvia, to tend to the Latvian language and national culture in accordance with the Constitution, this Law and other laws."
Public service mission in greater detail are laid down in Public service procurement, given to LTV by Public Electronic Media Council and can be accesed here: https://www.seplp.lv/lv/sabiedrisko-mediju-pasutijums
Is this governed by legislation?
YesWhat law or legal instrument specifies its role and responsibilities?
"Law on Public Electronic Mass Media and Administration Thereof"
Provide a reference URL here.
https://likumi.lv/ta/id/319096-sabiedrisko-elektronisko-plassazinas-lidzeklu-un-to-parvaldibas-likums
What are the stakeholders with which it has formal relations, and what is the nature of the relationship?
The shareholder is the Public Electronic Media Council (PEMC) with the following defined tasks:
- exercise the functions of shareholder and supreme decision-making body in the public electronic media,
- guarantee the editorial independence of the public electronic media, including by not interfering in the programming content,
- draw up and approve, in consultation with the public electronic media, a public remit for them, including a medium-term operational strategy for the public electronic media and an annual public remit plan,
- in consultation with the public electronic media, prepare proposals for the annual Draft State Budget Law on the financial resources required for the implementation of the public remit of the public electronic media and, following the adoption of the annual State Budget Law and amendments thereto, decide on the allocation of the available resources in accordance with the approved public remit of the public electronic media,
- approves the articles of association of the public electronic media,
- approve the codes of ethics of the public electronic media and make them publicly available on its website,
- elect and dismiss the members of the boards of public electronic media, the editors-in-chief and the ombudsman for public electronic media,
- supervise the activities of public electronic media by monitoring their compliance with the basic principles of public electronic media laid down in the Law, compliance of public electronic media programmes and services with the public remit and compliance of the use of financial resources with the approved budget,
- evaluate the performance of public electronic media,
- take decisions on increasing or reducing the share capital of public electronic media,
- publish on its website the reports of the public electronic media on the performance of the public remit and financial activities and submit them to the Parliamentary (Saeima) Commission for Human Rights and Public Affairs,
- inform the public about the work of the public electronic media and involve the public in the development and evaluation of the public service remit,
- perform other functions and tasks laid down in laws and regulatory enactments.
- exercise the functions of shareholder and supreme decision-making body in the public electronic media,
- guarantee the editorial independence of the public electronic media, including by not interfering in the programming content,
- draw up and approve, in consultation with the public electronic media, a public remit for them, including a medium-term operational strategy for the public electronic media and an annual public remit plan,
- in consultation with the public electronic media, prepare proposals for the annual Draft State Budget Law on the financial resources required for the implementation of the public remit of the public electronic media and, following the adoption of the annual State Budget Law and amendments thereto, decide on the allocation of the available resources in accordance with the approved public remit of the public electronic media,
- approves the articles of association of the public electronic media,
- approve the codes of ethics of the public electronic media and make them publicly available on its website,
- elect and dismiss the members of the boards of public electronic media, the editors-in-chief and the ombudsman for public electronic media,
- supervise the activities of public electronic media by monitoring their compliance with the basic principles of public electronic media laid down in the Law, compliance of public electronic media programmes and services with the public remit and compliance of the use of financial resources with the approved budget,
- evaluate the performance of public electronic media,
- take decisions on increasing or reducing the share capital of public electronic media,
- publish on its website the reports of the public electronic media on the performance of the public remit and financial activities and submit them to the Parliamentary (Saeima) Commission for Human Rights and Public Affairs,
- inform the public about the work of the public electronic media and involve the public in the development and evaluation of the public service remit,
- perform other functions and tasks laid down in laws and regulatory enactments.
How is income generated?
LTV is funded by state budget
What portion of income is public funds?
aprox. 97 % (2023)
Does the governance guarantee editorial independence?
YesState here in what way.
Editorial independence is guaranteed by the Law on Public Electronic Mass Media and Administration Thereof, which explicitly states that the editorial independence of public media (LTV) cannot be influenced by the Board, PEMMC, or any other entity. This principle is also embedded in LTV's internal documents, including editorial guidelines, the code of conduct, and ethics.