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CHANGES
IN PERSPECTIVE:
Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia from 1989 to 1999
Mass Media systems of the Baltic countries during the
last ten years have evolved greatly from structures that
reflect the Glasnost and post-Glasnost eras to structures
that function according to a free press model. One
may draw this conclusion by observing the fundamental
changes in the mass media landscape in Latvia, Estonia,
and Lithuania. This overview tries to give the
overall picture of Baltic media landscape, providing
facts to support the above-mentioned conclusion.
In the Baltics during the last three years, a new
structure of national daily press has emerged.
Soviet-time dailies have disappeared, or their
circulation and influence have diminished to a minimum
(with the exception of newspapers covering rural
readerships, such as Valstieciu Laikrastis in Lithuania,
Lauku Avize in Latvia, and Maaleht in Estonia).
Dailies have become the main source of written
information. Out of the fifteen biggest daily
newspapers in the three Baltic countries (five per
country), all are privately owned, and some involve
significant investments of Western capital (Diena in
Latvia, Kauno Diena in Lithuania, and Postimees in
Estonia). In all three countries, the readership of
the five top dailies exceeds that of all other newspapers
combined (Lithuania 52%, Latvia 72%, Estonia 62%).
The main source of revenue of the national dailies of the
Baltics is derived from advertising. Companies
printing the biggest dailies have established independent
systems of distribution and run their own printing
plants. The national dailies remain the place where
the most significant issues of policy and economy are
debated.
During the past two to three years, the local press has
started to develop more rapidly. After a difficult
period subsequent to privatization, during which some
local papers went bankrupt, revenue from advertising and
circulation stabilized and even increased.
According to the Media analysts, the regional press
survived and has found its niche as an important source
of regional information and generator of local identity.
In all three Baltic countries, governments do not
subsidize newspapers, neither national or local.
There are only indirect benefits like 0% VAT for
newspaper sales (although advertising revenues are
subject to VAT).
The magazine market has also experienced dramatic
changes. Out of the fifteen most popular magazines
in the Baltics, only two began publishing prior to
independence; others are mostly newcomers, created to
target a specific readership. It is not surprising
that seven out of the fifteen most popular magazines
target female readerships of different ages. Other
publications are TV guides or family magazines, and only
one (Veidas in Lithuania) could be considered a serious
general interest magazine. In sum, the magazine
readership is fragmented, and magazines tend to focus
mostly on entertainment.
Television and radio have expanded the most. There
are two reasons for this development. First, after
the withdrawal of the Soviets, two broadcast networks
were left and were available for local companies to start
up new television ventures. Second, Western
companies were allowed to privatize, invest, and develop
newly formed television companies. This capital and
expertise enabled the television sector to expand
further. All three countries have managed to
establish and retain several private broadcasters (LNK,
Baltijos TV, and TV 3 in Lithuania; Latvijas Neatkariga
Televizija and TV 3 in Latvia; Kanal 2 and TV 3 in
Estonia) and sell them to Scandinavian (TV 3 in Latvia,
TV 3 in Estonia, LNK and TV3 in Lithuania) or American
(Baltijos TV in Lithuania, Baltcom TV in Latvia)
companies. They have retained their public
television and radio broadcasters, which are losing the
ratings battle to private companies. Besides being
the most readily available source of information, private
television and radio stations have evolved as primary
providers of entertainment, with public broadcasters
trying to resist the trend.
All these developments were regulated by numerous laws
adopted by the national Parliaments, and many issues
regarding media law regulations have been resolved.
In the past decade, the Baltics adopted new laws ensuring
basic freedoms, allowing mass media to function according
to the rules of a democratic society (prohibiting
censorship, state ownership of the media, guarantees of
freedom of expression, etc.). Further, they have
adopted specific legislation regulating the broadcasting
sector. Nevertheless, there are still many
unresolved areas, such as the modification of
broadcasting legislation to conform to the rules of the
European Union, the adoption of legislation restricting
or prohibiting sex and violence on television, the
introduction of legislation concerning access to public
information, etc. One could conclude that,
politically and economically (with the exception of
public broadcasters), media has established itself as an
independent social structure. Even though basic
media regulations are already in place, the media’s
impact on culture and its role in shaping cultural values
are yet to be determined.
Marius Lukosiunas
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