Television in Latvia was first tested in 1937 and introduced in 1954. Latvia was the first country in the Baltic States which started broadcasting.
Initial research into television broadcasting in Latvia started in 1932, and the first experimental broadcast of television in Latvia took place on 10 November 1937 during a public viewing at the Latvian Radio Society (Latvian : Latvijas Radio biedrība) in Riga, using an amateur-made oscilloscope with the screen size of 45x50 cm. A Philips custom-built Nipkow disk transmitter used a frequency channel provide by the Department of the Post and Telegraph (Pasta un telegrāfa departaments, PTD) to transmit moving images with the speed of 12,5 frames per second. [1] There were plans to launch regular broadcasts of "visual radio" by the Latvian Radiophone in the early 1940s, but these were suspended by the occupation of Latvia and World War II. [2]
The first contemporary test broadcasts started on 6 November 1954 from a studio in Soviet Riga in black-and-white, which were seen by all 20 then-owners of television sets. Regular scheduled broadcasting of Latvian Television (LTV) started on 20 November 1954 with a premiere of the 1954 Soviet Latvian war epic Victorious Return . At the beginning, LTV didn't have rights to create their own programming except live shows. In 1955, the Riga Television studio in Nometņu iela, Āgenskalns was created to produce its own programming and the first TV tower in Latvia was built. In 1986, a new TV building and broadcasting tower were unveiled in Zaķusala. [3]
Since 1991, the first private television studios started broadcasting. Color television was introduced in 1974. At the beginning, color system used was SECAM and only color programming that was available in color, was a retransmission of the Moscow Central Television. But in 1998 SECAM was swapped for PAL. Digital television was started testing in May 2002 and all terrestrial analogue stations stopped broadcasting on 1 June 2010 after introducing it. [3] Advertising on public broadcasters, such as Latvian Television (LTV) was phased out on 1 January 2021. [4]
The independent, state budget-financed National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP) is the national media watchdog (similar to Ofcom in UK). [5]
Most of the non-Latvian television programs are dubbed, some are subtitled, but some are both dubbed and subtitled. This is a list of television channels that broadcast for a Latvian language audience.
No. | Channel name | Free-to-air | Available in HD | Owner | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | LTV1 | Yes | Yes | Latvijas Televīzija | documentaries, news, politics, satire, series, films, children's programming |
2. | LTV7 | Yes | Yes | news, sport, entertainment, series, films | |
3. | TV3 | No | Yes | All Media Latvia | films, series, sports, news |
4. | TV4 | Yes | Yes | 4.vara | sports, educational programmes, discussion events, conference live streams[ citation needed ] |
5. | TV3 Life | No | Yes | All Media Latvia | women's programmes, lifestyle programmes, series, films |
6. | 360 TV | No | Yes | Helio Media | series, films, documentaries |
7. | TV6 | No | Yes | All Media Latvia | men's programmes, series, films, sports |
8. | STV | No | Yes | Helio Media | women's programmes, lifestyle programmes, series |
9. | TV3 Mini | No | Yes | All Media Latvia | children's programming, series, films |
10. | TV24 | Yes | Yes | TV Latvija | news, politics, series, culture, lifestyle programmes |
11. | ReTV | Yes | Yes *Only website | Re MEDIA | regional programmes, news, documentaries |
12. | Best4Sport TV | No | Yes | B4 Media UP | sports |
13. | Go3 Sport 1 | No | Yes | All Media Estonia | sports |
14. | FX Latvia | No | Yes | Fox Networks Group Espana | entertainment, series, films |
15. | FX Life Latvia | No | Yes | entertainment, series, films | |
16. | National Geographic Latvia | No | Yes | NGC Europe Limited | nature, science, documentaries |
17. | Discovery Channel Europe | No | Discovery Corporate Services Limited | science, documentaries | |
18. | Latvijas Šlāgerkanāls | No | Mūzikas Video Kanāls | music, mostly Schlager | |
19. | Mūzikas Video | No | Yes *Only website | music | |
20. | KidZone Max | No | Duo Media Networks OÜ (DMN Latvija) | children's programming (from 06:00 to 00:00 hrs. only), music (from 00:00 to 06:00 hrs.) | |
21. | Pingvīns | No | Teledistribution | children's programming in Latvian, Russian. | |
22. | Duo 3 | No | Yes | Duo Media Networks OÜ (DMN Latvija) | series, films |
23. | Duo 6 | No | Yes | films, comedy series | |
24. | Kanal 7 | No | Yes | Russian, films, series, news | |
25. | 8TV | No | Yes | Helio Media | Russian, entertainment, films, series |
26. | Duo 5 | No | Yes | Duo Media Networks OÜ (DMN Latvija) | crime, series |
The Riga Radio and TV Tower in Riga, Latvia is the tallest tower in the European Union. It was built between 1979 and 1989 with funding from the central government of the Soviet Union. Its highest point reaches 368.5 metres (1,209 ft),† which makes it the third tallest tower in Europe and the 15th tallest self-supporting tower in the world.
Historical Latvian Lands or formerly Cultural regions of Latvia are several areas within Latvia formally recognised as distinct from the rest of the country. These are: Kurzeme (Courland), Zemgale, Latgale, Vidzeme, and Sēlija (Selonia). While some of these regions are seen purely as culturally distinct, others have historically been parts of different countries and have been used to divide the country for administrative and other purposes.
Latvijas Televīzija is the state-owned public service television broadcaster in Latvia. LTV operates two channels, LTV1 in Latvian and LTV7 in Latvian with selected programming in Russian.
Latvian Independent Television was a major private television company in Latvia, founded in 1996. LNT featured TV series, news and entertainment programmes, airing 24 hours a day in Latvian. It went off the air on March 1, 2020, and was replaced by TV3 Life.
TV3 Latvia is a Latvian commercial television channel targeted at a Latvian language audience owned by All Media Baltics, a company owned by investment firm Providence Equity Partners.
TV6 Latvia is an entertainment television channel broadcasting to Latvia featuring series, music, fashion and sports. It was launched on April 22, 2007. The programmes broadcast on the channel include The Simpsons, United States of Tara, Las Vegas, Harper's Island, American Idol, Survivor, My name is Earl, Family Guy, Shark, CSI: Miami, The Office, Sex and the City and more.
Latvijas Radio is Latvia's national public-service radio broadcasting network. It began broadcasting on 1 November 1925, and has its headquarters in the Latvian capital, Riga. Latvijas Radio broadcasts six different channels in the FM band as well as via the internet: Latvijas Radio 1, Latvijas Radio 2, Latvijas Radio 3 – Klasika, Latvijas Radio 4 – Doma laukums, Latvijas Radio 5 – Pieci.lv, and Latvijas Radio 6 – Radio NABA.
There are five planning regions of Latvia ; Kurzeme, Latgale, Riga, Vidzeme and Zemgale. The boundaries of the regions aligns to the boundaries of the municipalities of Latvia following the municipality reform of 1 July 2009. The planning regions of Latvia are not administrative territorial divisions, since they are not mentioned in the law that prescribes the administrative territorial divisions of Latvia. They were replaced with new planning regions in 2021.
The Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia is an open-air museum located just outside Riga, the capital of Latvia, on the lightly wooded shores of Jugla Lake.
Parliamentary elections were held in Latvia on 6 October 2018. Following the elections, a coalition government was formed by Who owns the state?, the New Conservative Party, Development/For!, the National Alliance and New Unity. Despite being from the smallest elected party, Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš of New Unity was chosen as prime minister.
The New Unity is a centre-right political alliance in Latvia. Its members are Unity and four other regional parties, and it is orientated towards liberal-conservatism and liberalism.
There are six statistical regions in Latvia are Kurzeme, Latgale, Pierīga, Rīga, Vidzeme and Zemgale.
Public Broadcasting of Latvia is a publicly funded radio and television organization operated by both of Latvia's public broadcasters – Latvian Television and Radio Latvia. LSM provides news, analysis, culture, entertainment and new experimental content, produced mainly by Latvian Television and Radio Latvia, and by the portal’s editorial personnel. The site was launched on 3 February 2013. LSM content is also available in Russian and English. News content in English was made available from 1 July 2014.
The State Police of Latvia is the national police service and one of the national law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Latvia. It is subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior. The agency is divided into five Regional Administrations. Since the 13th of October 2020, the Chief of the State Police is General Armands Ruks.
Latvia originally planned to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 with the song "Still Breathing" written by Samanta Tīna and Aminata Savadogo. The song was performed by Samanta Tīna. Songwriter Aminata Savadogo represented Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with the song "Love Injected" where she placed sixth in the grand final of the competition. The Latvian broadcaster Latvijas Televīzija (LTV) organized the national final Supernova 2020 in order to select the Latvian entry for the 2020 contest in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Nine songs were selected to compete in the national final on 8 February 2020 where a public televote exclusively selected "Still Breathing" performed by Samanta Tīna as the winner.
Jānis Puriņš was a Latvian Rifleman and later colonel, commander of the 1st Kurzeme Division of the Latvian Army and commander of the Eastern Front during the Latgale liberation operation during the Latvian War of Independence. He received the Knight's rank of the Order of Lāčplēsis.
The Fourteenth Saeima of Latvia was elected in the 2022 Latvian parliamentary election held on 1 October 2022.
There are five planning regions of Latvia after a 2021 reform: Kurzeme Planning Region, Latgale Planning Region, Riga Planning Region, Vidzeme Planning Region and Zemgale Planning Region. The boundaries of the regions align with the boundaries of the municipalities of Latvia following the municipality reform of 1 July 2009. The planning regions of Latvia are not administrative territorial divisions, since they are not mentioned in the law that prescribes the administrative territorial divisions of Latvia.
First Baltic channel was a Baltic pay television channel based on the largest Russian Channel One to broadcast its programs in the Baltic states. It was launched on 4 September 2002. The channel had also broadcast the local news programme Latvian time since June 2003. The channel was closed in Latvia on 26 October 2021 due to misinformation about COVID-19 and two other violations. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, its license was revoked and the channel was effectively banned in all three Baltic States.