Kezbere elected head of National Electronic Mass Media Council

  • 2017-02-06
  • BNS/TBT Staff

RIGA - Dace Kezbere, the National Electronic Mass Media Council's deputy chairperson, was today elected the new head of the Latvian media watchdog, the National Electronic Mass Media Council informed journalists.

The National Electronic Mass Media Council elected Kezbere its new chairperson by three votes and two abstentions.

Other contenders nominated for the position included Gunta Lidaka, executive director of the Latvian Broadcasting Association, and University of Latvia lecturer Ieva Beitika.

Ivars Abolins, a former editor at the Latvian Television Programming Department, was elected deputy chairperson of the National Electronic Mass Media Council.

Kezbere said that the candidates running for the position had different personalities and views and that each of them had his or her own experience, which was good, but that she won the elections because of her more extensive experience.

The council's members also decided on the distribution of areas of responsibility at today's meeting. Beitika and Kezbere will be in charge of Latvian Television, Abolins, and Patriks Griva will be responsible for Latvian Radio, Gunta Lidaka and Beitika will be in charge of commercial televisions and Griva and Abolins will supervise commercial radio stations.

Kezbere and Lidaka will oversee cable television providers, Beitika will be in charge of international cooperation and Lidaka will be responsible for inter-institutional cooperation.

As reported, the Latvian parliament on January 19 appointed Ivars Abolins, Gunta Lidaka, Patrik Griva and Ieva Beitika as the new NEPLP members to replace four out of the five existing NEPLP members, whose term of office will expire on February 2.

As reported, the office term of four out of five current Electronic Mass Media Council members ended on February 2