Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš believes it is necessary to lift the status of urgent amendments to the Law on Public Electronic Mass Media and Administration Thereof currently viewed by the Saeima, as mentioned in the PM’s post on social networks.
«Holding a public discussion is important. Media policy-related topics have to be viewed together with the guiding principles of media policy and financial opportunities,» said the PM.
The Combined List (AS) political party also intends to request the lifting of the status of urgency from amendment to the aforementioned law.
AS representatives say that after reading the open letter from Latvijas Radio workers they started having doubts about whether or not all aspects of the merge of Latvijas Radio and LTV had been taken into account. They also started having doubts about the Public Electronic Mass Media Council having a sufficiently clear vision for the organisation of work of the new public media after the merge.
Effective and productive merge cannot happen without support of the medias involved. This is why AS plans to interview the team and management of Latvijas Radio on Tuesday, the 28th of March, to understand their concerns about the topic of the merge, the party reports.
New Unity representative Silvija Reinberga stresses that board of both New Unity and Unity believe that to ensure quality discussion about the merge of the two public media, it is necessary to lift the state of urgency for amendments to the public media law.
New Unity representatives will request the status of urgency to be lifted at the coalition parties’ meeting today.
Unity’s board chairman, Minister of Finance Arvils Ašeradens stresses that the topic of the merge between LTV and Latvijas Radio is a question that cannot be ‘rushed through’.
«Especially now, when external forces are actively spreading disinformation. We have to make sure Latvia’s information space is safe from serious threats and is able to provide residents with objective information,» says Ašeradens.
The head of unity says the merge of public media should be based on a clear and thoroughly discussed media merge plan, as well as media policy guidelines
«that dictate directions and a clear media structure, as well as operational strategy».
New Unity believes that before media organisations can be reorganised, it is first necessary to develop a public media merge plan, said Reinberga.
More on this topic: Latvijas Radio workers say merge of public media is rushed; request procedure to be halted