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PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBW RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHRA #0267 1371251
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 161251Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY RIGA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4924
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS RIGA 000267 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: n/a 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV LG
SUBJECT: LATVIAN NATIONAL SECURITY COMMITTEE PRESSURES STATE 
TELEVISION TO "BE LESS NEGATIVE" 
 
REF: A) 07 RIGA 561, B) 07 RIGA 898 
 
¶1. On May 14, the Latvian National Security Committee of Parliament 
brought in Edgars Kots, Director of the Latvian National Television 
Station (LTV), for questioning. Though the sessions of the committee 
are closed, council member Linda Murniece (member of opposition 
party New Era), told media that committee members criticized the 
content and tone of LTV's overall broadcasts.  These committee 
members asserted that the station broadcasts only negative news 
about the GOL and general developments in Latvia--and neglected to 
portray postiive stories.  One example apparently cited by committee 
members of a positive story that could be covered by LTV was, "a 
baby-cow being born."  Accordign to Murniece, a majority of the 
members of the National Security Committee were not satified with 
the content and way the National Television is broadcasting. 
 
¶2. Once the matter of the meeting became public, committee head 
Dzintars Jaundzeikars admited publicly that the commitete did 
discuss the tone and content of broadcasts of LTV.  He justified the 
meeting by asserting, "LTV influences the views of society--which in 
their turn influences the overall security of society."  Kots 
responded to media inqueries by stating that he is forbidden by law 
from discussing the content of committee meetings. However, he 
admitted to Latvian newspaper Diena that "the subjects discussed in 
the meeting were beyond the competence of the committee." 
 
¶3. The Head of LTV News Service, Mareks Gailitis, criticized the 
meeting, noting that MPs should be careful not to confuse "public" 
television with "state" television.  Employees of the LTV News 
Service also expressed concern that Kots meeting with the committee 
was an attempt by politicians to pressure the station to alter its 
tone and content.  The meeting has been broadly condemned as 
unacceptable by Latvian media experts, and opposition party New Era 
has asked the National TV and Radio Council, as well as the 
Ombudsman's Office, to investigate the incident and the committee's 
involvement in the work of LTV. 
 
¶4. Kots' selection as LTV director general in March 2008 by Latvia's 
National Radio and Television Council (NRTVP) generated much 
discussion at LTV and within the Latvian media in general. According 
to press reports, some NRTVC members hinted that the vote for Kots 
was influenced by political motivations. At the time, Latvian 
Language daily Diena reported that selecting Kots was "not an easy 
choice." Although only two members of the NRTVC did not vote for 
him, others had criticized him in the past. A Diena op-ed commented 
on the selection, writing that members of the NRTVP who belong to 
New Era voted against Kots, but those NRTVC members representing 
government coalition parties, as well as the chair Mr. Kleckins 
(Harmony Center) supported him. Neatkariga raised concerns about 
Kots' lack of support among LTV employees, referring to changes he 
implemented in the LTV news service upon arrival, resulting in 
several employees resigning their positions.  Neatkariga also 
claimed that Kots had a significant personal problem - a lack of 
communication skills. 
 
¶5. Comment: This incident is disturbing.  It follows two instances 
in 2007 in which some elements within the government attempted bring 
outside pressure to bear on the editorial and personnel decisions at 
LTV.  In June 2006, LTV management demoted the director of a weekly 
analytical and investigative news program "De Facto." The director 
had produced some programs that were sharply critical of the 
governing coalition (ref A); in December 2007, LTV was pressured to 
cancel the broadcast of a documentary, "The Putin System," that 
revealed controversial information about then-Russian President 
Vladimir Putin (ref B).  Latvia certainly enjoys a lively press 
climate in which sundry points of view are expressed in both Latvian 
and Russian.  However, these three incidents in less than 12 months 
reveal that some within the GOL are more than willing to exert 
political pressure to try to influence the content of public media 
in Latvia.  End Comment