After the resignation of Uģis Libietis, the acting head of the News Service at Latvijas Radio has been appointed as the chief editor of the service, Zane Eniņa, the Latvian public media (LSM) reported to the LETA agency. A permanent head is expected to be selected following an open competition. However, due to the upcoming elections to the Saeima, the competition will not be announced until after the elections. LSM will provide information on the timeline later. ### The Radio Underestimated the Scale of the Crisis The reason for the personnel changes was the assessment of the public broadcaster's performance during the storm that hit Latvia last weekend. The head of corporate communications at LSM, Raina Anna Lochmele, stated that after the disaster, the management analyzed the work of the editorial teams and how quickly the population received the necessary information. The main conclusion was critical: Latvijas Radio 1 underestimated the seriousness of the situation at the beginning of the crisis and did not quickly adjust its broadcast. This was particularly significant because, during widespread power outages, internet, and mobile communication disruptions, radio remained the practically only accessible source of information for many residents. News broadcasts continued, and in the afternoon, their frequency was increased. At 3 PM, Latvijas Radio 1 also aired a special news edition prepared by the News Service of Latvian Television. However, LSM acknowledged that the transition to an intensified information mode should have occurred much earlier. ### The Leader Is Not the Only One to Blame Uģis Libietis took responsibility for the work of the News Service and decided to resign. At the same time, LSM emphasizes that what happened cannot be considered the fault of one person. During the internal analysis, systemic problems were identified: deficiencies in internal coordination, slow decision-making, and the transmission of critically important information, as well as issues with the order of replacing employees in situations where the usual links in the management chain become unavailable. Therefore, LSM intends to review internal procedures and establish a clear algorithm of actions under which Latvijas Radio 1 should transition from a regular program to intensified information broadcasting in the event of a crisis. ### What Will Change After the Storm The public broadcaster also intends to revise the system for ensuring continuous operation during power outages, internet, or mobile communication disruptions. Particular attention will be paid to radio. In conditions of serious communication disruptions, it may become the main, and sometimes the only source of information for the population. LSM needs to determine what additional staff, technical equipment, and funding will be required to ensure such operations. According to Lochmele, the role of the leader is especially important in crisis situations when decisions need to be made quickly, even if existing instructions do not provide a direct answer to the problem at hand. This year, LSM has already conducted exercises and simulations of crisis situations and intends to continue this practice. ### LSM Apologized to Listeners Board member of LSM for program and service development, Ieva Aile, apologized to the audience. According to her, the crisis revealed several weaknesses — both in coordinating actions and in the speed of decision-making regarding changes to the Latvijas Radio 1 program. On Sunday, the radio became the only source of information for thousands of residents left without electricity and communication. They expected to receive a significantly more detailed picture of what was happening, but the public broadcaster was unable to fully meet this need. At the same time, LSM notes that the scale of the consequences of the disaster became clear gradually. Throughout the day, the number of reports of power outages and communication problems increased, so in the first hours, there was still no complete picture of what was happening in the regions. On Sunday, additional news broadcasts aired every half hour in the Latvijas Radio 1 program "Labrīt." Latvian Television prepared special editions at 12:30 and 15:00, with the latter also broadcast on Latvijas Radio 1. From 4 PM until midnight, the radio transmitted news every half hour, and the television broadcasts "Dienas ziņas" and "Panorāma" were extended. The Council for Public Electronic Media demanded that LSM provide an assessment by August 26 of how continuity of operations and fulfillment of public orders were ensured during the storm and heavy rains. The resignation of the head of the News Service became the most notable consequence of the review of Latvijas Radio's performance during the storm, but LSM itself acknowledges that the problem turned out to be broader than a single personnel decision. Now the public broadcaster must create a system in which, in the event of large-scale outages, the radio can almost immediately switch to crisis information mode for the population.
