RIGA - The world famous music channel MTV officially announced plans to expand into the Baltic states on March 6 and for the first time will broadcast in the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian languages. MTV Network Europe confirmed plans for its MTV Baltic unit, set to debut in all three states by the end of this year. The localized stations will be named MTV Lietuva, MTV Eesti and MTV Latvija, respectively.
"This is a key development in our plans to launch multi-brand, multi-platform entertainment services in emerging markets," said Dean Possenniskie, MTV Networks Europe vice-president and CEO for emerging markets. "Launches in the Baltic states will provide viewers with an exciting mixture of locally produced and MTV signature programming."
MTV Baltic will be the first 24-hour network to fully sustain its business with revenues from advertising. With a target audience in the 15-35 age group, the network is expected to reach about 1 million households in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
"The content will offer multiple platform sponsorship for advertisers and will help boost cable and satellite in the Baltic republics," Possenniskie said.
The new stations will be transmitted via cable, satellite and ground digital TV networks, and supported by dedicated Web sites and mobile platforms. The specific times of broadcasts, program and other events will be announced over the next few months.
With national offices in Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn, plus a pan-Baltic office and transmission center in Vilnius 's run by MTV Network Europe's emerging market team and its Estonian-based partner, TVCorp 's MTV Baltic will set an example for local networks to follow.
"Operating MTV locally is a unique business model, and I am proud that my partners and I are now part of that," said Allan Martinson, an Estonian entrepreneur and creator of the first Baltic news agency.
Lithuanian producer and TV host Marius Veselis will head the new network, which will conduct business through a joint venture TV Corp. The latter was recently established in cooperation with MartinsonTrigon, an investment company led by Martinson.
"MTV is a brand like no other," said Veselis. "It even has a generation named after it 's and now it is the first global television network to produce localized MTV channels in the Baltic states."
TV Corp will reportedly invest some 4.8 million litas into the project. Currently, European or Scandinavian versions of MTV are broadcast by some Lithuanian cable TV operators.
MTV, which operates over 120 TV channels, is the largest TV chain across the world.
"The world's leading brand for youth is coming to the Baltics," Veselis said. "For our viewers that is a matter of national pride and for our local businesses it will be a great new opportunity."
