Estonian media companies asked to lift the ban on dubbing content in Russian

Four Estonian media companies have asked the authorities to revise amendments to the language law. The companies want to return the possibility of dubbing and voiceover translation into foreign languages, including Russian.

The management of ERR, Duo Media Networks, TV3 Grupp Eesti and V World North Europe has sent a joint appeal to the Minister of Education and Science of Estonia Kristina Kallas. The authors of the letter fear that part of the Russian-speaking audience may abandon legal Estonian media platforms in favor of pirated content and Russian media resources. Maintaining legal and attractive alternatives is important to further reduce the influence of Russian TV channels.

Media companies also fear that the new requirements could lead to the closure of individual channels or the transfer of activities to other countries. The authors of the appeal warn about the possible reduction of revenues from advertising and subscriptions, jobs and tax revenues. They also point out that the new requirements may reduce the competitiveness of local companies compared to international platforms that are not subject to similar restrictions.

Amendments to the language law were adopted in Estonia in the summer. The changes imply that cinemas, TV channels and other media content providers are prohibited from using voiceover or dubbing from a foreign language into another foreign language. About 25% of the population is Russian-speaking.