For the first time in the history of Latvia, a TV channel dedicated to culture has been created and will be launched on the Lattelecom television platforms throughout the country on 2 December. The pop-up “Culture 360TV” channel will offer viewing in retrospect the brightest moments of “Riga 2014”, as well as broadcast European and Latvian films, lectures and live videos, with the film professionals participating.
Lattelecom has created the channel “Culture 360TV” in cooperation with the Riga 2014 Foundation, the National Film Centre of Latvia and the production company ON AIR Studios. The hosts of the channel – Marta Selecka and Pauls Ķesteris – will offer interviews with filmmakers, as well as look into the backstage of the events of the European film month. Particular attention will be paid to the most important film industry achievements – the European Film Academy Awards ceremony with the brightest foreign film celebrities participating, as well as to the best Latvian made films “Klucis – the wrong Latvian”, “A pelican in the desert”. “Mushroom pickers” and others.
“Culture is the identity of the Latvian nation, as well as the force that helps and delights our people. It also provides a significant support in the upbringing of the new generation. It should, therefore, not be bound in time or place. The creation of the first Latvian culture channel is yet another step supporting the importance of modern technologies in the transfer and dissemination of important values to as wide a range of people as possible”, Juris Gulbis, CEO of Lattelecom explains the decision behind the creation of the culture channel.
The joint initiative of Lattelecom, the Riga 2014 Foundation and the National Film Centre of Latvia to create the first culture TV channel in Latvia is of great importance, in terms of access to culture and the increasing of the impact of culture on the public at large. At last, Latvia will have a TV channel that will not be forced to compete with other areas. Exploiting the opportunities offered by the new technologies, from currently a marginal sector in the media content flows culture will be able to develop into a 360-degree wide spectrum covering cultural diversity, which will meet the interests of a wide range of the target audience, by informing, educating, encouraging thinking and creating an emotional experience. This is particularly important in terms of how culture reaches the new generation which, given the access to information, has a focus on the new media. May “Culture 360TV” channel becomes the Latvian “ARTE”! I wish you every success in developing the cultural environment in Latvia and attracting a wide audience”, says Dace Melbārde, the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Latvia.
“The year of being the European Capital of Culture has enhanced and strengthened confidence in Riga which has always been and will be the city of culture. We are richer than we may sometimes think. This is evidenced by a variety of concerts, festivals and exhibitions taking place within the scope of the “Riga 2014” programme. Everybody will be able to watch these events in the new Lattelecom TV channel that is especially dedicated to culture. It is essential that the technology leader Lattelecom launches the new TV channel by saturating it with a high-quality content of cultural events, thus confirming the company’s understanding of the key role of culture and its impact on the long-term development of Latvia”, points out Diāna Čivle, Head of the Foundation “Riga 2014”.
“Latvia has been successful in positioning itself at the European level film events to date, so it is only logical that the next step is the introduction of the Latvian population to the best home-made and European films. I would particularly like to emphasize that, for the first time, the European Academy Award ceremony will be held in Latvia, and thanks to the technologies, anyone will be able to watch it regardless of their location”, says Dita Rietuma, Head of the National Film Centre of Latvia.
“Culture 360TV” channel will be available at no extra charge on all Lattelecom television platforms – on the interactive TV, the Terrestrial TV, as well as on the Internet TV. One third of the content of the channel will be provided by the production company ON AIR Studios, offering film news, live broadcasts, lectures and audience reviews of films and other cultural events. 30% of the broadcasting time will be dedicated to Latvian and European films, broadcasting the best Latvian films of the last decade. In turn, the rest of the cultural content of the channel will be dedicated to the cultural events of “Riga 2014”, supplemented by the views of the participants of the events, critics, as well as curators, including the “World Choir Games”, the campaign “The Chain of Booklovers – the Path of Light” in retrospect and others.
Additional information
Anete Cērpe
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