Over 200 LSM Staff Urge Saeima Not to Rush Contested Amendments
More than 200 employees of Latvian Public Media (LSM) have signed an open letter asking parliament to drop the urgent procedure for amendments to the public media law. They also call for support of the proposals submitted by the public media supervisory body to safeguard LSM's independence.
More than 200 employees of Latvijas Sabiedriskais medijs (Latvian Public Media, LSM) have addressed an open letter to the Saeima, Latvia's parliament. LSM is the country's public broadcaster, which combines public television, radio and an online news portal. The letter is addressed to the Saeima's Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee and to all members of parliament.
What the staff are asking for
The authors urge lawmakers to cancel the urgent status of amendments to the law on public electronic mass media and their governance. This law sets out how public media are managed. Urgent status means amendments are considered in an accelerated procedure, so the staff are asking that the bill not be rushed.
The employees also call on deputies to back the proposals submitted by the public media supervisor. In their view, this is necessary to ensure LSM's independence.
Why it matters
The letter shows that a wide group of LSM staff see the amendments as an issue tied to the independence of the media organisation. It will be up to the Saeima to decide whether the amendments proceed under the urgent procedure and whether the supervisor's proposals are taken into account.
