Integration monitor is a daily Latvian press digest on ethnic minority and society integration issues. The Monitor reviews the biggest Latvian dailies: Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga (in Latvian language), Vesti Segodnya (in Russian language). In specific cases other information sources are used. Latvian Centre for Human Rights is not responsible for information published by the media.

• Saeima reviews a draft law stipulating that Latvian radio stations will have to broadcast their programmes in Latvian or in foreign language only

Vesti Segodnya reports about a draft law according to which each radio station in Latvia would have to broadcast only in one language -  in Latvian or in foreign language. The proposal is elaborated by the National Council on Electronic Mass Media with an aim to regularize situation in the radio market. The draft law proposes each radio station to choose its working language – state or foreign language. According to the director of the Association of Broadcasting Organisations Gunta Lidaka, there are radio stations in Latvia which do not fulfil their broadcasting licence obligation on language proportions. For instance there are radio stations whose licence says that it should broadcast 90% of programmes in Latvian and 10% in Russian, but in reality 100% of broadcasts are in Russian. Mrs Lidaka is sceptical about one of the draft law’s provisions which says that the radio stations currently broadcasting more than 50% in Latvian language will have to broadcast in Latvian only. The draft law also stipulates that 80% of programmes will have to be produced by radio station itself instead of re-broadcasting foreign programmes.  Especially, it will concern radio stations mostly broadcasting Russia’s radio programmes. The MP Boriss Cilevics (Concord Centre) believes that the aim of the draft law is to establish control over radio stations. He also believes, taking into account that all the radio stations will have to re-register, the Council on Electronic Mass Media might refuse re-registration for some radio stations and motivate its decision by the claim that there are enough of Russian language radio stations in some regions. Representative of a radio station “Baltkom” (broadcasting in Russian language) stated that, if the new regulation is approved, it is not clear what to do, for instance, when the live radio broadcast receives a call from its listener speaking in Latvian language.