Media watchdog keeps crisis-readiness demands on LSM

Latvia’s Public Electronic Mass Media Council says a parliamentary decision to keep the Latvian Television and Latvian Radio newsrooms as separate units does not change the requirements for the public service media group LSM to prepare for crises, LSM reported.

The council said it would take the legal amendments, adopted by parliament on October 22, into account when preparing next year’s public service remit plan. After discussions with LSM’s board, it also concluded that the shareholder’s expectations letter and the group’s 2026–2029 medium-term strategy need changes.

Earlier instructions on crisis preparedness remain in force, the council said. By December 1, LSM must review its internal rules and job descriptions to clarify how staff should act in different emergencies. The council expects the group to set procedures for editorial decisions when communications are disrupted or responsible staff are unavailable.

LSM must also prepare solutions for emergencies in which radio becomes the public’s main source of information and resources need to be reallocated quickly.

A separate deadline remains in place for the group to submit proposals by March 31, 2027, on possible structural and work-organisation changes to ensure high-quality news and analysis under its public service remit. The board must develop those proposals in line with the recent amendments to the law.

The council said the 2022 concept for merging public media was intended to support digital development and help the media reach audiences on the platforms where people increasingly consume content, rather than to bring about institutional changes for their own sake.