LTV7
LTV7 is the second channel of Latvian Television, the state-owned public service television broadcaster in Latvia. The channel was launched during the Soviet occupation in 1961 and assumed its current form following Latvia's restoration of independence in 1991.
Until the 2003 rebrand of LTV, the channel was known as LTV2; it also served as the designated channel for Russian-language programming, with such content ending in 2025. Compared with LTV's flagship general-interest channel, LTV7 focused on sports coverage, documentaries, films, and lifestyle programming.
History
Until the restoration of Latvian independence, LTV7 was primarily a relay of Soviet Central Television. Following the restoration of independence in August 1991, the channel became LTV2. In 1998, LTV2, along with all the other Latvian television channels, replaced SECAM with PAL.In January 2003, coinciding with the corporate rebrand of Latvian Television, LTV2 was rebranded as LTV7. The "7" derived from the initial slogan of the renamed service, "Because every day is like a holiday", which was paired with a new programming concept, refreshed content, and higher advertising rates.
The Russophone morning show Utro-7 premiered on 30 August 2004. It was produced by Media Group Russian-Europe, with LTV providing technical assistance. The show featured Russian television celebrities as presenters: Vladimir Molchanov, Aleksandr Gordon, Ekaterina Gordon, Levon Oganezov, Pavel Kashin, and later Ksenia Strizh. The program ended on 28 January 2005, only a few months after its launch. According to LTV's directives, Utro-7 did not align with the channel's profile, and its ratings fell short of expectations, amid a broader viewership crisis at LTV at the time. On the following weekday, LTV7 started broadcasting from 7:30 am.