Lithuanian National Radio and Television


Lithuanian National Radio and Television is the national public broadcaster of Lithuania. LRT is a public institution which according to the right of ownership, belongs to the State. Its operations are funded by taxpayers. LRT's mission is to serve the public interest by providing objective, reliable information to Lithuanian audiences at home and abroad, producing and broadcasting educational, cultural and entertainment programmes that further unity and progress.

History

The Lithuanian Radio started regular broadcasting in 1926. The television service has been broadcasting since 1957. Radio and television services are now operating from LRT headquarters in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. At the end of 2019, LRT employed approx. 600 people.
In May 2007 LRT started a project of converting all of its films, including some five thousand hours of cinefilm and some 30,000 hours of videotapes to digital. The oldest entry dates back to 1895.
LRT comprises seven media channels broadcasting nation-wide. The content of all the channels is integrated and shared across all three platforms: television, radio, and on-line. LRT produces around two-thirds of its content in-house, while one third is commissioned from external producers.
In delivering international news coverage, LRT cooperates with private and public media, including Deutsche Welle, Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and others. LRT was admitted as a fully active member of the European Broadcasting Union on 1 January 1993.

Governance

The LRT Council is the highest governing institution of LRT. The Council supervises the implementation of the LRT mission, approves the annual income and spending by LRT administration. The Council comprises twelve members prominent in social, scientific and cultural fields, appointed for six-year terms.
On financial issues, the LRT Council and the management are being consulted by the LRT Administrative Commission. The Administrative Commission is made up of five members – management and finance specialists – who are appointed by the Council for a term of four years. Currently, the LRT Council is chaired by Liudvikas Gadeikis.

Budget

LRT operations are funded by taxpayers. LRT budget depends directly on taxes collected in the year before the last. The state allocates 1.5 percent of the personal income tax and 1.3 percent of the collected excise duties.
The LRT's budget for 2019 stood at 41.65 million euros. Budget project for 2020 envisages allocating 46.30 million euros for LRT.

Facilities and equipment

LRT has TV studios of 70 sq.m, 120 sq.m, two studios of 300 sq.m and one studio of 700 sq.m. LRT also uses OB stations for broadcasting. Studio facilities include modern computer graphics equipment.

Platforms and Channels

Radio:
Television:
Online:
LRT TV and radio live broadcasts are accessible globally on LRT.lt.