The Chairman of NEPLP, Ivars Abolins, called for the swift adoption of a law that will ensure priority for Latvian-language TV channels in broadcasting lists, describing the current situation as unfair and threatening to national identity.
The Chairman of the National Council for Electronic Media (NEPLP), Ivars Abolins, commented on the draft law establishing priority for television channels with content in the state language during a broadcast on TV24. According to him, the document is extremely necessary for both the state and society.
According to the draft, operators must first offer public and free channels, followed by other programs. After that, they will be able to arrange the order of channels at their discretion. Currently, as Abolins noted, the situation looks absurd: the TV24 channel is in 127th place, while Russian-language programs are at the top of the list. "This is absolutely unacceptable," emphasized the head of NEPLP.
He reminded that Latvia invests significant funds into the Media Support Fund to strengthen local media and television. According to him, this is about "the struggle for people's minds," and content in the Latvian language must be accessible and prominent.
The draft law stipulates that all programs in the Latvian language will be located next to each other. This, according to NEPLP, will not only facilitate content search for Latvians but also remind Russian-speaking viewers residing in the country, "which country they are in."
Abolins called the current situation, where Latvian TV channels are at the bottom of the list, unfair and unacceptable: "The Latvian language and Latvian programs must take their rightful place in the country's information space. The Latvian language cannot be in the minority in its own home."
He expressed hope that the members of the Saeima would support the initiative: "This is a matter of the Latvian language, Latvian programs, and the Latvian people. If the parliament approves the draft, the changes will come into effect this year.
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