Abolins, Lidaka, Griva and Beitika appointed to National Electronic Mass Media Council

RIGA - Saeima today appointed Ivars Abolins, Gunta Lidaka, Patriks Griva and Ieva Beitika as members of the National Electronic Mass Media Council.

Abolins was appointed to the National Electronic Mass Media Council by 67 votes to three, Beitika received 81 votes, with nobody voting against her and three MPs abstaining. Griva was appointed to the council by 79 votes to one and two abstentions, and Lidaka was supported by 80 MPs, with nobody voting against her and two lawmakers abstaining.

Earlier, the above candidates were endorsed by the Saeima Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee.

Members of the Saeima Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee raised no concerns about Lidaka and Griva’s existing or past involvement with commercial media and its possible influence on their forthcoming work on the National Electronic Mass Media Council.

Saeima had to elect four new members to the National Electronic Mass Media Council as the mandate of four existing members of the council ends on February 2.

As reported, a term of office for four out of five current Electronic Mass Media Council members will end on February 2. The following candidates have applied to work on the council: magazine Ir journalist Sanita Upleja-Jegermane, former Latvian Television Programming Department Editor Ivars Abolins, Latvian Broadcasters Association's Executive Director Gunta Lidaka, Hansa Investment Club HIC CEO Nikolajs Lacis, company Randala board member and University of Latvia lecturer Ieva Beitika, Platforma Filma CEO and film producer Aija Ansone, Foundation for an Open Society DOTS Director Vita Anda Terauda, marketing company beach.lv founder Patriks Griva, current Electronic Mass Media Council member Dainis Mjartans, and journalist Zanna Helmane.