"In relation to disproportionate economic pressure from national and law enforcement authorities on Baltic Media Alliance (BMA) companies, including on Estonia's third-largest commercial TV channel PBK, the management board of the media group has been forced to adopt a decision to cease production of the daily 'Estonian News' program," Sindija Fridenberga, head of marketing and PR at BMA, told BNS on Thursday.

The final episode of the news program will be broadcast on March 19.

Likewise discontinued will be production of the daily "Latvian Time" news program for Latvian viewers.

"Estonian News" is the most popular news program among Estonia's Russian-speaking population, Fridenberga said, adding that the program is a non-profit making project produced exclusively using funds earned by the BMA media group. According to Fridenberga, viewership of the PBK news program totaled around 55,000.

"PBK is continuing operations; these changes relate to the production of this news program alone," the head of marketing said. "It is a forced step. It saddens us that external conditions prevent us from guaranteeing that our journalists can do their jobs. Our viewers trusted them; they know how to spark people's interest in events in the country where our viewers and their children reside."

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