Useful information

Latvia was the first of the Baltic States to have television, and that has meant that Latvia has not lagged behind the processes of development in the global field of TV.

  • November 6, 1954:  The first broadcast on Latvian Television (known at that time as the Rīga Television Studio), from facilities at L. Laicēna (now Lielā Nometņu) Street 62, where a theatrical company had once been housed.  A film from the Rīga Film Studios, “Homeward With Victory”, was watched by the owners of just 20 TV sets in Latvia.  The first Soviet-era “KVN” television sets had a screen size of 18 centimetres, and the image was enlarged with a lens full of distilled water or glycerine.  The friends, relatives and neighbours of proud TV owners always gathered around the sets.
  • April 1955:  The first television tower was built in Rīga, alongside the aforementioned studios in Laicēna Street.  The tower was 110 metres high.  The first television studios of the Rīga Television Centre also were opened.
  • 1958 – Television arrived in the Latvian region of Kurzeme, with a television tower and transmitter installed in Kuldīga.
  • March 19, 1958:  The informational news programme “Panorama” first went on air.
  • 1961:  The Rīga Television Studio launched a second channel which rebroadcast the content of central television from Moscow.
  • 1968:  Colour TV appeared in Latvia, but, for the time being, only on the central television programme from Moscow.
  • 1974:  Colour broadcasts were first produced at the Rīga Television Studio, as well.
  • 1975:  A third television transmitter was launched in Rīga.
  • 1986:  A new television building on Zaķusala Island was built, along with a 368-metre broadcasting tower – the highest in Europe.  It ensures that radio and television signals can be received in 96% of Latvia’s territory.
  • January 1, 1993:  Latvian Television became a full member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
  • 2000:  Latvian Television, for the first time, took part in the international Eurovision Song Contest, doing very well – a band called Brainstorm took third place in the competition.
  • 2002:  Singer Marija Naumova won the international Eurovision Song Contest, which was taking place in Tallinn that year.  Latvian Television could, accordingly, present itself and its country to the rest of the world to an even more significant degree.
  • 2003:  Because of Marija Naumova’s victory, Latvia hosted the Eurovision Song Contest, bringing in more international guests than the capital city of Rīga had ever seen before.
  • 2003:  Work began on what would become the most popular television serial in Latvian history, “Clearing Fields for Destiny”.  The fifth and last season of the programme is being produced at this time.
  • 2003:  The two channels of Latvian Television were restructured to become equal, albeit different in concept – LTV1 and LTV7.
  • October 9, 2006:  The premiere of another serial, “Cost of Craziness”, which has become the most watched and ambitious serial in Latvian history.
  • November 28 and 29, 2006:  During a NATO summit in Rīga, Latvian Television proved itself and its internationally acceptable technical quality by ensuring broadcasts throughout the world. 
  • July, 2008: LTV becomes a Latvian Song and Dance festival's TV. The whole concert can be viewed live on the Internet, which among Latvian abroad raises the obvious delight.
  • 2008: Latvian television throughout the year, broadly reflecting the Latvian Republic of the 90th anniversary, the program to include a number of unique, specially dedicated to the celebration original broadcasts and live broadcasting. LTV festive presentation of investing in the best technical and creative forces in an economically difficult conditions for anyone to create joy and pride in their country's birthday and bring feelings of every house. But LTV Zaķusala first building lights up the national colors, won first prize in the festival "Staro Rīga", organized within the framework of an Internet poll.
  • June 22, 2009: LTV starts a new tradition: the premiere of "Skroderdienas Silmačos" Live from the Latvian National Theatre becomes an absolute rating of the visible leaders of Latvian television channels in the middle, which indicates that most television viewers in this live show format is a more than pleasant. And not as an either - during the team through the LTV can also take a look behind the scenes of the show - well, who can be attractive and mysterious about it?! Similar to those followed by live coverage of the Latvian National Opera in the 90th Jubilee Evening and Art Theatre season opening. Viewers feel fascinated...
  • 2009th / 2010th season: LTV7 Continental Hockey League under (KHL), live broadcast on all the Riga Dynamo hockey team's games, officially becoming the best Continental Hockey League (KHL) game transmitting television company!
  • February, 2010: LTV7 daily regime reflects the Canadian city of Vancouver hosted the Olympic Winter Games.
  • March 1, 2010: are LTV7 off analogue broadcasting, continue this channel is viewable only in digital format. Benefit - not just a better image and greater territorial availability, but also stereo sound.
  • April 1, 2010: is LTV1 off analogue broadcasting in Riga and 70 km radius around it.
  • June 1, 2010: is off LTV1 analog broadcasts throughout the Latvian. In order to further public television can watch free of charge, viewers, with only a room or a rooftop antenna, you need a decoder.
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ph: +371 67200315, +371 67200316, fax: +371 67200025
e-mail: ltv@ltv.lv
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