The Council of Public Electronic Mass Media (SEPLP) confirmed the board of the unified Latvian Public Media (LSM) on Wednesday, November 13, for a five-year term. Baiba Zūzena has been appointed as Chairperson of the Board, while Ieva Aile, Inese Tanne, Ilze Ogle, and Ingemārs Vekteris have been appointed as board members.
Each board member will oversee specific areas: Aile will focus on program and service development, Tanne will handle financial management, Ogle will be responsible for personnel management, and Vekteris will oversee technology management.
The newly elected LSM board will serve for five years, beginning their roles in early January 2025 when the new state-owned company “Latvijas Sabiedriskais medijs” is registered.
Board Members’ Backgrounds:
- Baiba Zūzena previously served as CEO and board member of All Media Latvia, managed the consulting company Komercizglītības centrs, and was the Deputy Chair of the Board at SIA Getliņi EKO.
- Ieva Aile is currently a board member at VSIA Latvijas Radio, responsible for programs and services.
- Inese Tanne is the Finance Director at SIA Civitta Latvija, a consulting and digital services company.
- Ilze Ogle leads strategic human resources management at AB City, a company focused on healthcare products and services.
- Ingemārs Vekteris has extensive experience as the head of Vidzemes TV, a founding member of the regional TV network ReTV, and is the Executive Director of the Latvian Broadcasting Association.
Context:
The selection process for the new LSM board members attracted 78 applicants and was conducted over three rounds. SEPLP finalized its board selection on October 30. Before their official appointment, the selected candidates met with public media employees and trade unions.
During a meeting with Latvian Television employees, questions were raised about Ivars Šulcs, initially nominated for the technology management role. Following this discussion, Šulcs withdrew his candidacy. SEPLP then nominated Ingemārs Vekteris, Executive Director of the Latvian Broadcasting Association, for the position.