First Baltic channel

First Baltic channel
Pirmais Baltijas kanāls
Первый Балтийский канал
CountryLatvia
Broadcast area
  • Estonia
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
HeadquartersRiga, Latvia[1]
Programming
Language(s)
  • Latvian[2]
  • Russian
Picture format16:9 576i
Ownership
OwnerBaltic Media Alliance
Sister channels
History
Launched4 September 2002 (2002-09-04)
ReplacedORT TEM
Closed
  • 26 October 2021 (2021-10-26) (Latvia)
  • 25 February 2022 (2022-02-25) (Lithuania)
  • 2 March 2022 (2022-03-02) (as PBK Estonia in Latvia)

First Baltic channel (Latvian: Pirmais Baltijas kanāls; abbreviated PBK; Russian: Первый Балтийский канал, romanized: Pervyy Baltiyskiy kanal) was a Baltic pay television channel based on the largest Russian Channel One to broadcast its programs in the Baltic states. It was launched on 4 September 2002.[3][4] The channel had also broadcast the local news programme Latvian time (Russian: Латвийское время) since June 2003.[5]

The channel was closed in Latvia on 26 October 2021 due to misinformation about COVID-19 and two other violations.[6] Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, its license was revoked and the channel was effectively banned in all three Baltic States.[7][8][9]

  1. ^ "BMA Group". 1bma.lv (in Latvian). Archived from the original on 21 July 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Первый Балтийский канал «заговорит» по-латышски" [First Baltic channel will broadcast in Latvian]. Teleservis (in Russian). 26 July 2010. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  3. ^ "Вещание Первого Балтийского канала в Литве могут перевести с русского на государственный язык » Литва на русском языке (новости в Литве)" [First Baltic channel in Lithuania may switch from Russian to the national language]. nedelia.lt (in Russian). Экспресс-неделя. 15 December 2010. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  4. ^ "архив газеты "Молодежь Эстонии"". www.moles.ee (in Russian). Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  5. ^ "Первый Балтийский канал запускает новости" [First Baltic channel launches news]. delfi.lv (in Russian). Delfi. 28 May 2003. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  6. ^ "Broadcaster PBK has its license revoked by regulator". eng.lsm.lv. 21 October 2021.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference PBK Lietuva was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference est-ban was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference :16 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).