Monika Garbačiauskaitė-Budrienė on the challenges of her second term as LRT DG
Monika Garbačiauskaitė-Budrienė has been the Director General of the Lithuanian Public Service Broadcaster LRT since 2018, winning a second five-year term last year. She is also a member of the Executive Board of the EBU.
In this exclusive interview with Yako Molhov, the head of LRT talks about the numerous challenges that the Lithuanian pubcaster is facing during her second term, ranging from financing, political independence, further development of the news and information offer, both locally and internationally, the new LRT building, as well as cooperation with fellow PSB services in the region, especially Ukraine's Suspilne.
In this exclusive interview with Yako Molhov, the head of LRT talks about the numerous challenges that the Lithuanian pubcaster is facing during her second term, ranging from financing, political independence, further development of the news and information offer, both locally and internationally, the new LRT building, as well as cooperation with fellow PSB services in the region, especially Ukraine's Suspilne.
Monika Garbačiauskaitė-Budrienė, Director General of the Lithuanian Public Service Broadcaster LRT, Photograph: Edvardas Blazys
Monika, you have been at the helm of Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT since 2018, winning a second term in 2023. What have been the main challenges for you and for LRT over the past five years, alongside the COVID pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the financial crisis?
One of the biggest challenges was the political pressure when, in 2018-2019, the ruling party in the Seimas, the Farmers and Greens Union, exerted political pressure, tried to radically change the management model of LRT, to turn it into a state broadcaster, like in Poland, and questioned the funding model of LRT. Fortunately, all these attempts failed, but that does not mean they will not happen again. We also faced enormous pressure from commercial media - seeing that LRT was doing increasingly well, they could not reconcile with it. They complained about the LRT funding model to the European Commission, and when it refused to start an investigation, they took it to court, and the case is currently ongoing.
Overall, the challenge was to reform LRT itself, to change the internal culture, to improve work processes and digital transformation, as well as to improve the quality of content, create synergy in news services, and move into the field of digital content.
Perhaps one of the biggest challenges at the moment is the obligation to broadcast news continuously during an emergency situation, for example, at the start of the war. The national broadcaster has a special duty to inform the public in an emergency. Upon hearing sirens or receiving a message on their phone, people should turn on LRT television or LRT radio and listen to the announcement for recommendations. The war in Ukraine and the experiences of our colleagues there have raised many questions about how to realistically work in such a time - how and from where we should broadcast, what information the main state institutions would want us to disseminate. We have prepared business continuity plans for incidents like a disaster at the Astravyets nuclear power plant and other situations. However, war is a completely different circumstance. Therefore, we have prepared initial plans on how we would operate in the event of war, drawing on the experiences of our colleagues from Ukraine and Finland.
Under your management LRT has made significant progress in terms of its digital presence and investment in content and viewership results. What are your main accomplishments and what will you focus on during your second term?
Under my management LRT has undertaken a comprehensive reform and embarked on digital transformation. As a result, LRT’s newsrooms have been reformed and the web portal has been revamped, providing news services in five languages. The content of all LRT platforms has been integrated and many processes and content offerings have been digitalized. LRT has set up an investigative journalism unit and initiated media literacy and fact-checking projects together with its partners. In 2023, LRT joined the International Fact Checking Network.
In 2022, LRT renewed its visual identity to emphasize its position as a growing, diverse, open and modern public service broadcaster. LRT has also paid particular attention to ethical journalism standards. In 2023, LRT became the first public service media organization in the Baltic countries to be awarded the Reporters Without Borders Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) certificate for trustworthy journalism. LRT earned the highest score (100%) for meeting international JTI standards.
Over the past five years, LRT has undergone a positive organizational transformation: modern management principles have been introduced, with a particular focus on human resources management, many processes have been digitalized and made more transparent, operational risks have been identified and mitigated, project management has been improved and an ESG strategy has been developed and is being implemented.
LRT's achievements have been recognized both nationally and internationally. LRT was named the most popular media brand in Lithuania for the second time at the Baltic Brand Forum 2023.
Based on public surveys in 2022, LRT received the highest rating among seven Lithuanian media groups in 6 out of 7 assessment criteria, including objectivity, reliability, and education, etc. More than 70 per cent of the population evaluate LRT positively (Baltic Surveys, 2022).
The most important tasks for the second term are to implement the LRT strategy. We will further develop our VOD platform EPIKA. We will implement the Children's and Youth Strategy. We will involve this audience in creating content for them and nurture new talents. We have planned projects for all three platforms and news services to improve regional inclusivity – from cultural content to television shows and special projects in the web portal. We will initiate actions in Lithuania that unite people and promote pride in their state. We will better listen to the audience's needs and allocate our resources more accurately. We will put more effort into not only the content of the information but also its presentation: we will refresh news formats, prepare news for children and youth, and adapt or specially prepare news for individual social networks. We will implement the News Strategy: LRT will create high-quality journalism that reaches the audience – wherever they are. We will expand the network of correspondents and collaborators in the regions and abroad.
We will ensure deeper cultural content for the educated viewer and strive to engage a broader, untapped audience. We will aim to spread more cultural news and current affairs from the regions of Lithuania, Europe, and the world. We will ensure meaningful entertainment thinking outside the box: intellectual games, quizzes, humor, and reality show formats uniting various social groups in Lithuania are planned. We will expand the offering of radio drama content – series, documentaries, history popularization – and strengthen literature projects. We will strive to secure the rights to broadcast major cultural and sports events. We will make better use of content created by other platforms. We will complete the digitalization of LRT archives and move to more active use of archives in content, creating a digital education platform.
There will be greater orientation of radio content towards the digital space, creation of podcasts. We will introduce special LRT.lt applications for various platforms, televisions, and cars. We will review the organizational structure of LRT and adapt it to long-term goals. We will embody the values enshrined in the LRT strategy in the daily activities of LRT employees. We aim to build a new LRT building. We plan to prepare strategic guidelines for sustainable development and implement real changes in environmental, social, and governance areas. We will focus on the use of renewable electricity sources. We will implement the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
Just recently you announced that LRT EPIKA - the free platform created specifically for the convenient and simple viewing of films and series will become the main 'cinema hall' of LRT. What is your strategy behind this step?
We follow trends and notice that the consumption of video content online is steadily increasing – especially films and series, the so-called slow content. One of the goals set in the new LRT strategy is to create meaningful leisure content, so we want to open LRT content to new viewing ways, offering the best national broadcaster content on a digital platform and quality entertainment in one place.
LRT EPIKA users will find special content exclusive to this platform – from award-winning films at festivals to unique content such as the Lithuanian cinema golden collection or series that have not yet been shown on television screens. We select high-quality content for all LRT channels every day, so we decided to gather everything in one place for convenient viewing. Everything is tailored for the Lithuanian audience, so users will be able to watch not only legal but also well-translated and dubbed content.
In March last year LRT announced its guidelines for 2023-2027. What are the main principles that LRT management and employees will abide by?
The four-direction strategy aims to understand and reach various societal groups, create high-quality content that aligns with the mission, reach the audience in convenient ways, and foster an efficient, innovative organization that quickly adapts to changes.
Among the goals set are ambitions to attract children and youth, consistently and systematically reflect every region of Lithuania, and understand and reach those audiences that LRT currently reaches insufficiently.
Content goals include continuing to be a leader in high-standard journalism, helping the audience acquire new knowledge and grow, and offering meaningful leisure content.
As people's habits change and more people use the internet, it was crucial to set the goal of reaching the audience in ways convenient for them. Therefore, among the goals are to make LRT.lt the main LRT platform, ensure the best user experiences across all LRT channels, and introduce audiences to LRT content on the digital platforms they use.
All this would not be possible without the goals identified in the fourth direction: fostering a value-based internal culture, increasing the creativity, collaboration, openness to change, and engagement of LRT employees. Also, continuing digital transformation, increasing technological and infrastructure innovation, and implementing sustainability principles in LRT activities.
LRT will base its activities on core values: openness to perspectives, dialogue, collaboration; innovation in journalism, creativity, technology, and management; independence and reliability.
Public broadcasters in CEE have been experiencing difficult times lately, i.e. the change in power in Slovakia and Poland; Suspilne left the United News marathon in Ukraine; in Czechia there have been discussions about the way of funding of CT; etc. What is the situation in Lithuania, does LRT have a good model in terms of funding and have there been any discussions about changing it?
In 2023 LRT was the first PSM in the region to receive the trusted media certificate from RSF's Journalism Trust Initiative. Our compliance with the Trusted Media criteria was rated at the highest level, including editorial independence and transparent and sustainable sources of funding.
On the other hand, RSF's latest World Press Freedom Index report highlighted the issue of the LRT board being selected by politicians.
In terms of its funding model, the LRT can serve as an example for other countries. The current model has been in place since 2015 and is provided for by law. According to the legislation, state budget allocations to LRT are automatically calculated as a fixed percentage of the state taxes collected in the year before last.
Allocations to LRT consist of 1% from personal income tax and 1.3% from excise duties. LRT is not allowed to broadcast commercial advertising.
The law also provides for a certain minimum threshold for LRT funding - the level of allocation to the LRT may not be lower than the level in 2019.
State allocations cannot be revised by the government every year. This funding model guarantees independence from political influence, economic lobbying and protects editorial independence. It also requires no administrative costs and is more acceptable to society because it does not impose direct costs.
It is precisely because the model guarantees independence, LRT has faced attempts to question or change its legitimacy.
In 2020, the Constitutional Court ruled that the current funding model was in line with the Constitution. According to the Court, this model ensures that LRT is not under political pressure because of its activities.
Such a public broadcaster funding model ensures LRT's independence not only from government institutions but also from advertising revenue and economic lobbying. Last year, all seven channels offered by LRT cost each Lithuanian resident 1.65 euros per month. This amount is one of the lowest in all of Europe. On average, a public broadcaster costs a European resident 3.70 euros per month, while in Denmark, for example, the amount reaches 7.65 euros.
Lithuania has been among the most-active supporters of Ukraine in the war against the Russian occupiers. LRT has been supporting Ukraine through different campaigns and initiatives, i.e. the Radarom! fundraising campaign, the Millennium Children show; etc. Have you planned more initiatives in this respect and what have been the results so far? Do you have plans to intensify your partnership?
The Ukrainian Public Broadcasting Service is perhaps our closest partner in the region. We maintain active cooperation on both bilateral and multilateral basis, including cooperation within the European Broadcasting Union and other multilateral cooperation initiatives.
Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, in solidarity with the Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne, we signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with Suspilne, committing to strengthen cooperation in the exchange of content and information, participation in joint projects and so on.
Almost immediately after the full-scale invasion, LRT started rebroadcasting Suspilne's broadcasts on its news portal. Together with other EBU members, we sent humanitarian aid in the form of equipment, and, together with other broadcasters, we participated in telethons and concerts in support of Ukraine. In 2023, LRT donated commercial funds to organize a summer camp for the children of the Ukrainian public broadcaster's staff.
We exchange documentaries with Suspilne, for example we recently showed Suspilne's documentary Bucha22. Representatives of LRT went twice to Ukraine to learn from Susiplne's experience, to see how they organise their work in conditions of full-scale war. LRT's Director General, together with EBU representatives, took part in the international conference organized by Suspilne to advocate and highlight the role of the public broadcaster for democracy in Ukraine.
For almost three years, from 2021 to 2024, LRT, together with Deutsche Welle Akademie and Canal France International, has been running the EU-funded MediaFit program, which aimed at strengthening the resilience of Ukrainian media. As part of this program, we have provided consultancy and training to journalists from Ukrainian regions, including journalists from Suspilne's regional offices, and invited them to events in Lithuania, such as the Investigative Journalism Festival in Lithuania, security training for Ukrainian journalists and others.
Within the EBU, Suspilne and LRT representatives work together in the EBU Board, EBU sectoral committees and various EBU initiatives. Together with Suspilne representatives, LRT has been one of the most active advocates for the suspension of Russian broadcasters' membership in the EBU and the exclusion of Russian representatives from the Eurovision Song Contest.
LRT and Suspilne journalists, together with investigative journalists from other EBU members, took part in an EBU-led investigative journalism investigation that exposed Russia's Russification policy in the Ukrainian occupied territories.
We exchange news via the EBU News Exchange System. News reports from the Ukrainian public broadcaster are among the most frequently used for LRT news.
We also participate in other international and multilateral initiatives that are of benefit to both sides.
How is LRT fighting the fake news attacks by the aggressor state - a problem which has become a major issue in many CEE territories?
Attracting viewers has become one of the biggest challenges for all national broadcasters. Information consumption habits are drastically changing: more and more people want to consume information when it is convenient for them and in a way that is comfortable for them. The linear method, that is, the kind of television and radio programming to which the older generation is accustomed, is practically irrelevant to young people. There is also a growing phenomenon of news avoidance: not wanting negative emotions, people stop following the news. On the other hand, news still reaches them through social networks, but the question is – where is it coming from, and how objective and reliable is it? In recent years, LRT has paid much attention to tracking, monitoring, and deconstructing fake news, but if people do not watch television or listen to the radio – how can we broadcast all this to them? Therefore, we strive to be active on digital channels.
Overall, it is very important to have a strong national broadcaster and strong media in Lithuania. When people constantly receive high-quality content and various types of education, they think more critically, and their resistance to fake news increases. In young democracies and in countries with dangerous neighbors like Lithuania, the importance of a national broadcaster is even greater. This brings us back to the issue of funding: if we do not invest in high-quality content accessible to everyone, it is likely that its place will be easily taken by superficial, misleading, and even harmful information to the state.
The spring TV season is now over. What have been LRT's viewership results and what is your program strategy for the fall, which shows will return and will you premiere new programs?
We are pleased that the changes made to the LRT television schedule and the carefully selected content over the past year are showing good results. Last year, LRT television finished in second place and first in the market for live television viewing. This year, the results are even better, and for two consecutive months, LRT has been the most-watched television channel in Lithuania.
This year, we have many major events that we will broadcast live – the Presidential, Parliamentary, and European Parliament elections, Eurovision. We will commemorate the centenary of one of the most important cultural events in Lithuania, the Song Festival. Over ten days in the summer, we will have ten live broadcasts of this event, involving more than 100 of our colleagues.
To expand its audience, LRT constantly experiments with new genres that are not so common on our television. With colleagues, we often discussed what kind of reality shows would be suitable for the national broadcaster's airtime. In the new season, we will introduce two projects in this genre, which will not only provide meaningful entertainment but also offer new knowledge to our viewers. Traditionally, we will offer internationally acclaimed films and series. We will have new historical and documentary projects.
One of the most recent news around LRT is that your hit series Troll Farm has been optioned in India. The series marked a significant milestone as the first high-end project of its kind to be produced in Lithuania and the first local show to be streamed and broadcast simultaneously on television. What is your commissioning strategy for 2024 and beyond, will Latvian viewers see more major titles like Troll Farm?
In recent years, LRT has taken its first steps towards co-production, establishing connections with both local streaming platforms and national broadcasters in neighboring countries. Troll Farm was the first project of this kind, co-financed by LRT, the Lithuanian Film Center, and the local telco Telia Play. Together with Telia Play, we are co-financing several more projects, some of which LRT viewers will see in 2025. We share the rights to the Euroleague basketball tournament with Go3.
LRT joined the Polish national broadcaster TVP's initiative to unite the region's public broadcasters at the Heart of Europe Festival. This is a great platform to make contacts with colleagues, see each other's content, and initiate joint projects. LRT has already won this festival twice – with the historical travel documentary project National Expedition and the teen documentary project N16.
Together with the national broadcasters of Latvia and Estonia, we have recently been increasingly discussing joint content creation and co-production. We hope to announce our first joint project in the near future.
In February 2024 you organized a creative workshop for documentary projects together with Media Ranch - Horsepower. Who was the winner of this initiative and how would you sum up the results? Will LRT produce new documentary projects based on ideas from the workshop?
We believe that the project was successful, as within a few days, participants were introduced not only to the theoretical aspects of TV format creation but also, under the supervision of Philip Kalin-Hajdu, the Content Development Manager of Media Ranch, created 10 new original formats. These ranged from a children's show created with the help of artificial intelligence, a project addressing psychological problems, to a reality show about surviving extreme situations. According to the results and participant feedback, we see that such workshops are very beneficial not only for developing creative competencies but also for fostering new creator collaborations and connections. We are considering the possibility of organizing similar workshops in the future for a larger group of participants. We are also discussing the possibility of additional seminars for producers from whom LRT purchases content.
LRT is among the first pubcasters to develop guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence (AI). What are LRT's main principles for using AI?
LRT continuously strives to improve and keep pace with the latest technologies – one of which recently has become AI. To leverage the benefits of this tool in fulfilling the public broadcaster's mission to inform, educate, and unite society, LRT has developed principles that establish responsible AI use.
When using artificial intelligence in LRT activities, we assume full editorial responsibility for the content created with these tools. They will only be used after ensuring they comply with ethical journalism principles, and all responsibility will remain in human hands – LRT's reliability is paramount. We will also take additional protective measures against fake news and educate the audience about AI operating principles, benefits, and threats.
The principles for AI use apply equally to all LRT employees and creative staff who directly create or contribute to LRT content – division heads, journalists, reporters, program hosts, editors, and producers. LRT's AI use principles also apply to external producers with whom LRT has signed audiovisual production, rights transfer, and broadcasting agreements.
One of the biggest challenges was the political pressure when, in 2018-2019, the ruling party in the Seimas, the Farmers and Greens Union, exerted political pressure, tried to radically change the management model of LRT, to turn it into a state broadcaster, like in Poland, and questioned the funding model of LRT. Fortunately, all these attempts failed, but that does not mean they will not happen again. We also faced enormous pressure from commercial media - seeing that LRT was doing increasingly well, they could not reconcile with it. They complained about the LRT funding model to the European Commission, and when it refused to start an investigation, they took it to court, and the case is currently ongoing.
Overall, the challenge was to reform LRT itself, to change the internal culture, to improve work processes and digital transformation, as well as to improve the quality of content, create synergy in news services, and move into the field of digital content.
Perhaps one of the biggest challenges at the moment is the obligation to broadcast news continuously during an emergency situation, for example, at the start of the war. The national broadcaster has a special duty to inform the public in an emergency. Upon hearing sirens or receiving a message on their phone, people should turn on LRT television or LRT radio and listen to the announcement for recommendations. The war in Ukraine and the experiences of our colleagues there have raised many questions about how to realistically work in such a time - how and from where we should broadcast, what information the main state institutions would want us to disseminate. We have prepared business continuity plans for incidents like a disaster at the Astravyets nuclear power plant and other situations. However, war is a completely different circumstance. Therefore, we have prepared initial plans on how we would operate in the event of war, drawing on the experiences of our colleagues from Ukraine and Finland.
Under your management LRT has made significant progress in terms of its digital presence and investment in content and viewership results. What are your main accomplishments and what will you focus on during your second term?
Under my management LRT has undertaken a comprehensive reform and embarked on digital transformation. As a result, LRT’s newsrooms have been reformed and the web portal has been revamped, providing news services in five languages. The content of all LRT platforms has been integrated and many processes and content offerings have been digitalized. LRT has set up an investigative journalism unit and initiated media literacy and fact-checking projects together with its partners. In 2023, LRT joined the International Fact Checking Network.
In 2022, LRT renewed its visual identity to emphasize its position as a growing, diverse, open and modern public service broadcaster. LRT has also paid particular attention to ethical journalism standards. In 2023, LRT became the first public service media organization in the Baltic countries to be awarded the Reporters Without Borders Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) certificate for trustworthy journalism. LRT earned the highest score (100%) for meeting international JTI standards.
Over the past five years, LRT has undergone a positive organizational transformation: modern management principles have been introduced, with a particular focus on human resources management, many processes have been digitalized and made more transparent, operational risks have been identified and mitigated, project management has been improved and an ESG strategy has been developed and is being implemented.
LRT's achievements have been recognized both nationally and internationally. LRT was named the most popular media brand in Lithuania for the second time at the Baltic Brand Forum 2023.
Based on public surveys in 2022, LRT received the highest rating among seven Lithuanian media groups in 6 out of 7 assessment criteria, including objectivity, reliability, and education, etc. More than 70 per cent of the population evaluate LRT positively (Baltic Surveys, 2022).
The most important tasks for the second term are to implement the LRT strategy. We will further develop our VOD platform EPIKA. We will implement the Children's and Youth Strategy. We will involve this audience in creating content for them and nurture new talents. We have planned projects for all three platforms and news services to improve regional inclusivity – from cultural content to television shows and special projects in the web portal. We will initiate actions in Lithuania that unite people and promote pride in their state. We will better listen to the audience's needs and allocate our resources more accurately. We will put more effort into not only the content of the information but also its presentation: we will refresh news formats, prepare news for children and youth, and adapt or specially prepare news for individual social networks. We will implement the News Strategy: LRT will create high-quality journalism that reaches the audience – wherever they are. We will expand the network of correspondents and collaborators in the regions and abroad.
We will ensure deeper cultural content for the educated viewer and strive to engage a broader, untapped audience. We will aim to spread more cultural news and current affairs from the regions of Lithuania, Europe, and the world. We will ensure meaningful entertainment thinking outside the box: intellectual games, quizzes, humor, and reality show formats uniting various social groups in Lithuania are planned. We will expand the offering of radio drama content – series, documentaries, history popularization – and strengthen literature projects. We will strive to secure the rights to broadcast major cultural and sports events. We will make better use of content created by other platforms. We will complete the digitalization of LRT archives and move to more active use of archives in content, creating a digital education platform.
There will be greater orientation of radio content towards the digital space, creation of podcasts. We will introduce special LRT.lt applications for various platforms, televisions, and cars. We will review the organizational structure of LRT and adapt it to long-term goals. We will embody the values enshrined in the LRT strategy in the daily activities of LRT employees. We aim to build a new LRT building. We plan to prepare strategic guidelines for sustainable development and implement real changes in environmental, social, and governance areas. We will focus on the use of renewable electricity sources. We will implement the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
Just recently you announced that LRT EPIKA - the free platform created specifically for the convenient and simple viewing of films and series will become the main 'cinema hall' of LRT. What is your strategy behind this step?
We follow trends and notice that the consumption of video content online is steadily increasing – especially films and series, the so-called slow content. One of the goals set in the new LRT strategy is to create meaningful leisure content, so we want to open LRT content to new viewing ways, offering the best national broadcaster content on a digital platform and quality entertainment in one place.
LRT EPIKA users will find special content exclusive to this platform – from award-winning films at festivals to unique content such as the Lithuanian cinema golden collection or series that have not yet been shown on television screens. We select high-quality content for all LRT channels every day, so we decided to gather everything in one place for convenient viewing. Everything is tailored for the Lithuanian audience, so users will be able to watch not only legal but also well-translated and dubbed content.
In March last year LRT announced its guidelines for 2023-2027. What are the main principles that LRT management and employees will abide by?
The four-direction strategy aims to understand and reach various societal groups, create high-quality content that aligns with the mission, reach the audience in convenient ways, and foster an efficient, innovative organization that quickly adapts to changes.
Among the goals set are ambitions to attract children and youth, consistently and systematically reflect every region of Lithuania, and understand and reach those audiences that LRT currently reaches insufficiently.
Content goals include continuing to be a leader in high-standard journalism, helping the audience acquire new knowledge and grow, and offering meaningful leisure content.
As people's habits change and more people use the internet, it was crucial to set the goal of reaching the audience in ways convenient for them. Therefore, among the goals are to make LRT.lt the main LRT platform, ensure the best user experiences across all LRT channels, and introduce audiences to LRT content on the digital platforms they use.
All this would not be possible without the goals identified in the fourth direction: fostering a value-based internal culture, increasing the creativity, collaboration, openness to change, and engagement of LRT employees. Also, continuing digital transformation, increasing technological and infrastructure innovation, and implementing sustainability principles in LRT activities.
LRT will base its activities on core values: openness to perspectives, dialogue, collaboration; innovation in journalism, creativity, technology, and management; independence and reliability.
Public broadcasters in CEE have been experiencing difficult times lately, i.e. the change in power in Slovakia and Poland; Suspilne left the United News marathon in Ukraine; in Czechia there have been discussions about the way of funding of CT; etc. What is the situation in Lithuania, does LRT have a good model in terms of funding and have there been any discussions about changing it?
In 2023 LRT was the first PSM in the region to receive the trusted media certificate from RSF's Journalism Trust Initiative. Our compliance with the Trusted Media criteria was rated at the highest level, including editorial independence and transparent and sustainable sources of funding.
On the other hand, RSF's latest World Press Freedom Index report highlighted the issue of the LRT board being selected by politicians.
In terms of its funding model, the LRT can serve as an example for other countries. The current model has been in place since 2015 and is provided for by law. According to the legislation, state budget allocations to LRT are automatically calculated as a fixed percentage of the state taxes collected in the year before last.
Allocations to LRT consist of 1% from personal income tax and 1.3% from excise duties. LRT is not allowed to broadcast commercial advertising.
The law also provides for a certain minimum threshold for LRT funding - the level of allocation to the LRT may not be lower than the level in 2019.
State allocations cannot be revised by the government every year. This funding model guarantees independence from political influence, economic lobbying and protects editorial independence. It also requires no administrative costs and is more acceptable to society because it does not impose direct costs.
It is precisely because the model guarantees independence, LRT has faced attempts to question or change its legitimacy.
In 2020, the Constitutional Court ruled that the current funding model was in line with the Constitution. According to the Court, this model ensures that LRT is not under political pressure because of its activities.
Such a public broadcaster funding model ensures LRT's independence not only from government institutions but also from advertising revenue and economic lobbying. Last year, all seven channels offered by LRT cost each Lithuanian resident 1.65 euros per month. This amount is one of the lowest in all of Europe. On average, a public broadcaster costs a European resident 3.70 euros per month, while in Denmark, for example, the amount reaches 7.65 euros.
Lithuania has been among the most-active supporters of Ukraine in the war against the Russian occupiers. LRT has been supporting Ukraine through different campaigns and initiatives, i.e. the Radarom! fundraising campaign, the Millennium Children show; etc. Have you planned more initiatives in this respect and what have been the results so far? Do you have plans to intensify your partnership?
The Ukrainian Public Broadcasting Service is perhaps our closest partner in the region. We maintain active cooperation on both bilateral and multilateral basis, including cooperation within the European Broadcasting Union and other multilateral cooperation initiatives.
Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, in solidarity with the Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne, we signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with Suspilne, committing to strengthen cooperation in the exchange of content and information, participation in joint projects and so on.
Almost immediately after the full-scale invasion, LRT started rebroadcasting Suspilne's broadcasts on its news portal. Together with other EBU members, we sent humanitarian aid in the form of equipment, and, together with other broadcasters, we participated in telethons and concerts in support of Ukraine. In 2023, LRT donated commercial funds to organize a summer camp for the children of the Ukrainian public broadcaster's staff.
We exchange documentaries with Suspilne, for example we recently showed Suspilne's documentary Bucha22. Representatives of LRT went twice to Ukraine to learn from Susiplne's experience, to see how they organise their work in conditions of full-scale war. LRT's Director General, together with EBU representatives, took part in the international conference organized by Suspilne to advocate and highlight the role of the public broadcaster for democracy in Ukraine.
For almost three years, from 2021 to 2024, LRT, together with Deutsche Welle Akademie and Canal France International, has been running the EU-funded MediaFit program, which aimed at strengthening the resilience of Ukrainian media. As part of this program, we have provided consultancy and training to journalists from Ukrainian regions, including journalists from Suspilne's regional offices, and invited them to events in Lithuania, such as the Investigative Journalism Festival in Lithuania, security training for Ukrainian journalists and others.
Within the EBU, Suspilne and LRT representatives work together in the EBU Board, EBU sectoral committees and various EBU initiatives. Together with Suspilne representatives, LRT has been one of the most active advocates for the suspension of Russian broadcasters' membership in the EBU and the exclusion of Russian representatives from the Eurovision Song Contest.
LRT and Suspilne journalists, together with investigative journalists from other EBU members, took part in an EBU-led investigative journalism investigation that exposed Russia's Russification policy in the Ukrainian occupied territories.
We exchange news via the EBU News Exchange System. News reports from the Ukrainian public broadcaster are among the most frequently used for LRT news.
We also participate in other international and multilateral initiatives that are of benefit to both sides.
How is LRT fighting the fake news attacks by the aggressor state - a problem which has become a major issue in many CEE territories?
Attracting viewers has become one of the biggest challenges for all national broadcasters. Information consumption habits are drastically changing: more and more people want to consume information when it is convenient for them and in a way that is comfortable for them. The linear method, that is, the kind of television and radio programming to which the older generation is accustomed, is practically irrelevant to young people. There is also a growing phenomenon of news avoidance: not wanting negative emotions, people stop following the news. On the other hand, news still reaches them through social networks, but the question is – where is it coming from, and how objective and reliable is it? In recent years, LRT has paid much attention to tracking, monitoring, and deconstructing fake news, but if people do not watch television or listen to the radio – how can we broadcast all this to them? Therefore, we strive to be active on digital channels.
Overall, it is very important to have a strong national broadcaster and strong media in Lithuania. When people constantly receive high-quality content and various types of education, they think more critically, and their resistance to fake news increases. In young democracies and in countries with dangerous neighbors like Lithuania, the importance of a national broadcaster is even greater. This brings us back to the issue of funding: if we do not invest in high-quality content accessible to everyone, it is likely that its place will be easily taken by superficial, misleading, and even harmful information to the state.
The spring TV season is now over. What have been LRT's viewership results and what is your program strategy for the fall, which shows will return and will you premiere new programs?
We are pleased that the changes made to the LRT television schedule and the carefully selected content over the past year are showing good results. Last year, LRT television finished in second place and first in the market for live television viewing. This year, the results are even better, and for two consecutive months, LRT has been the most-watched television channel in Lithuania.
This year, we have many major events that we will broadcast live – the Presidential, Parliamentary, and European Parliament elections, Eurovision. We will commemorate the centenary of one of the most important cultural events in Lithuania, the Song Festival. Over ten days in the summer, we will have ten live broadcasts of this event, involving more than 100 of our colleagues.
To expand its audience, LRT constantly experiments with new genres that are not so common on our television. With colleagues, we often discussed what kind of reality shows would be suitable for the national broadcaster's airtime. In the new season, we will introduce two projects in this genre, which will not only provide meaningful entertainment but also offer new knowledge to our viewers. Traditionally, we will offer internationally acclaimed films and series. We will have new historical and documentary projects.
One of the most recent news around LRT is that your hit series Troll Farm has been optioned in India. The series marked a significant milestone as the first high-end project of its kind to be produced in Lithuania and the first local show to be streamed and broadcast simultaneously on television. What is your commissioning strategy for 2024 and beyond, will Latvian viewers see more major titles like Troll Farm?
In recent years, LRT has taken its first steps towards co-production, establishing connections with both local streaming platforms and national broadcasters in neighboring countries. Troll Farm was the first project of this kind, co-financed by LRT, the Lithuanian Film Center, and the local telco Telia Play. Together with Telia Play, we are co-financing several more projects, some of which LRT viewers will see in 2025. We share the rights to the Euroleague basketball tournament with Go3.
LRT joined the Polish national broadcaster TVP's initiative to unite the region's public broadcasters at the Heart of Europe Festival. This is a great platform to make contacts with colleagues, see each other's content, and initiate joint projects. LRT has already won this festival twice – with the historical travel documentary project National Expedition and the teen documentary project N16.
Together with the national broadcasters of Latvia and Estonia, we have recently been increasingly discussing joint content creation and co-production. We hope to announce our first joint project in the near future.
In February 2024 you organized a creative workshop for documentary projects together with Media Ranch - Horsepower. Who was the winner of this initiative and how would you sum up the results? Will LRT produce new documentary projects based on ideas from the workshop?
We believe that the project was successful, as within a few days, participants were introduced not only to the theoretical aspects of TV format creation but also, under the supervision of Philip Kalin-Hajdu, the Content Development Manager of Media Ranch, created 10 new original formats. These ranged from a children's show created with the help of artificial intelligence, a project addressing psychological problems, to a reality show about surviving extreme situations. According to the results and participant feedback, we see that such workshops are very beneficial not only for developing creative competencies but also for fostering new creator collaborations and connections. We are considering the possibility of organizing similar workshops in the future for a larger group of participants. We are also discussing the possibility of additional seminars for producers from whom LRT purchases content.
LRT is among the first pubcasters to develop guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence (AI). What are LRT's main principles for using AI?
LRT continuously strives to improve and keep pace with the latest technologies – one of which recently has become AI. To leverage the benefits of this tool in fulfilling the public broadcaster's mission to inform, educate, and unite society, LRT has developed principles that establish responsible AI use.
When using artificial intelligence in LRT activities, we assume full editorial responsibility for the content created with these tools. They will only be used after ensuring they comply with ethical journalism principles, and all responsibility will remain in human hands – LRT's reliability is paramount. We will also take additional protective measures against fake news and educate the audience about AI operating principles, benefits, and threats.
The principles for AI use apply equally to all LRT employees and creative staff who directly create or contribute to LRT content – division heads, journalists, reporters, program hosts, editors, and producers. LRT's AI use principles also apply to external producers with whom LRT has signed audiovisual production, rights transfer, and broadcasting agreements.
