As promised by SEPLP, in 2025, the combined LSM, which includes Latvijas Radio, founded in 1925, Latvian Television, which started work in 1954, and the “lsm.lv” portal, which was created in 2013, will start working in 2025. It will have large technological development plans, new content range and “breeding designs of excellent quality”.
Jānis Siksnis, chairman of SEPLP, emphasizes that the next year should be a year of rapid development, implementing the big changes along with the creation of a single LSM. He points out that many different tasks must be completed in order to achieve the set goals, both for reaching a wider audience and for creating a rational management structure of a single company.
“Substantial investments are planned in technologies and infrastructure that meet modern requirements, strengthening the continuity of operations and the efficiency of processes. In turn, content will be developed in formats that were not possible until now due to insufficient funding,” says Siksnis.
The new company will start work with a set of documents approved by SEPLP “Strategic framework and plan for the execution of public order of VSIA “Latvijas Sabiedriskais medijs” in 2025″, which will be the company’s transition period strategy and the annual plan of public order in one set of documents. As SEPLP informs, it will be publicly available and created over the course of almost a year with the involvement of public media workers, including being discussed and evaluated in the working groups of the unification process. The set of documents also includes a summary of the work to be done by the new board of the action plan in order to complete the tasks related to the merger and beyond.
In 2025, it is planned to redistribute the funds reserved in the state budget in the amount of 18.961 million euros to the LSM. These are the 10.440 million euros planned in the budget program “Financing for measures to strengthen national security” for the purchase of LTV mobile television station (PTS) cameras and the 8.522 million euros planned in the budget program “Implementation of reform of national importance” for the reform to create a unified media.
As SEPLP informs, by creating a diverse set of content in accordance with the goals of public good, in 2025 it is planned as a priority to strengthen the specialization of correspondents in radio programs in the News Service, which will allow to increase the quality of content and create original content. It is also intended to raise the analytical and research capacity in the reflection of social, political and economic processes. At the same time, it is planned to increase the analytical content and criticism in cultural programs, as well as purposefully plan the representation of wider opinions in the programs, involving more representatives of minorities and various social groups.
It also promises to develop new educational content for seven- to 12-year-olds and more content on digital platforms for youth audiences, as well as creating a new audio drama series.
On the other hand, television programs are planned to increase investments in digital development, strengthen research and analysis capacity. At the same time, SEPLP emphasizes that the thematic specialization of journalists and editors will continue. Likewise, cultural discussions in the digital environment and the genre of cultural criticism will be developed, as well as the development of content for children and young people is planned, and work on the creation of series has begun.
As the council informs, in 2025, LSM has increased its budget for purchasing content from independent producers, as well as for creating digital content. The combined media will provide content in Latvian, English and a total of 11 minority languages. On the other hand, by June 2025, a medium-term operational strategy for 2026-2029 must be developed, including a conceptually new approach to content in minority languages, notes SEPLP.
It is also planned to create a remotely technically controlled multimedia studio in Daugavpils, to create a new “Lsm.lv” multimedia studio, “REplay” apps for mobile phones and smart television, SEPLP informs.
At the same time, the council states that within a year PTS will be put into operation and the purchase of a mobile radio broadcasting studio will be prepared. In progress, work is also being carried out on the virtualization solution of critical information technology systems of the office, the solution of permanent program release cloud services, the 2nd stage implementation of the content management system, the development of the unified information and communication technology architecture of television, radio and Internet production and broadcasting technologies.
The development of the radio 6 recording studio modernization project, the modernization of small television studios, including the use of robotic camera technology and other multimedia solutions, are also planned. An automation solution for the translation of multimedia content in five languages will also be created, the council says.
At the same time, according to SEPLP, work will be carried out on the creation of a unified company structure and remuneration system for LSM from 2026.
As announced, the merger of Latvian Radio and Latvian Television began at the beginning of April, with the two state capital companies merging to establish LSM.
On the other hand, in mid-November, the SEPLP unanimously elected the LSM board for five years. The long-time TV3 leader Baiba Zūzena was approved as the chairman of the board, Ieva Aile was approved as a board member for program and service development issues, Inese Tanne – as a board member for financial management issues, Ilze Ogle – as a board member for personnel management issues, and Ingemārs Vekteris – as a board member for technology. in management matters.