Sinkevičius asks ministry to review LRT funding model

Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius said the national public broadcaster LRT’s budget would not change for now, and that the Culture Ministry had been asked to review its funding model, LRT reported.

“I asked the Culture Ministry to return to reviewing the funding model,” Sinkevičius told reporters on Thursday. He said media representatives and politicians should agree on how the broadcaster should be funded.

Sinkevičius said LRT funding should not be linked to excise duties. It should grow in line with the economy, rather than being tied to “derivative factors” such as excise revenue, he said.

Last November, parliament passed an amendment freezing LRT funding at its 2025 level for 2026 to 2028. The broadcaster’s budget is 79.6 million euros this year and is set to remain at that level for the next two years.

From 2029, LRT would receive 0.75% of collected personal income tax revenue and 0.8% of excise revenue.