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More than 270 people from the Bulgarian National Radio support the protest actions of its director general, Andon Baltakov. In an open letter that circulated on Thursday, they asked for the withdrawal of the bill proposed by the Ministry of Culture to reform the Radio and Television Law, as in this version “It puts a constant destabilization in public radio and enables political pressure on the work of journalists.”
The letter was signed by 275 BNR employees, whose CEO resigned the day before due to the government’s unwillingness to guarantee the independence of public radio. On Thursday, he explained his motives to the Electronic Media Council.
BNR officials note in their letter that the final bill differs from the one previously drafted by the specially created working group.
In the project proposed by the Ministry of Culture, 7 paragraphs have been eliminated.
All of them are related to the management of public media and their objective is to overcome the deficiencies of the current legislation and the consequent imbalance in the management of BNR and BNT. Currently, the CEO of BNR is required to work with the Board of Directors. , which is not proposed by him, and at the same time he himself will propose a composition of the Board, which will work with the next Director General. The discrepancy in terms of office is 2 and a half years, almost its total duration. media “say employees of the Bulgarian National Radio.
Another provision of the bill has been removed, aimed at improving the management of public media and ensuring stability and predictability, increasing the term of executive directors and board members from 3 to 5 years. “In Bulgaria we have long witnessed a convenient and conscious replacement of the functions of the media, the destruction of much of the free press, the takeover of television. In Bulgaria we have long witnessed of the drafting and passing of laws imitating consent to reform and falsification. ” supposedly “accepted professional opinions”say employees of the Bulgarian National Radio.
“The presentation of the bill that modifies the Radio and Television Law by the Ministry of Culture and the proposal for public discussion is no different. We accept it as one more attempt to replace the conversation about freedom and political independence of the media. All this occurs in the context of alarming data on the state of the media in the country, which were found in the European Commission report on the rule of law in our country, published in September. As the key solutions in this direction are related to financing and the media management model, but whatever new financing model is proposed, the expenditure of public funds will be compromised in a management model that presents defects. The current principle of BNR’s management has shown its flaws and its advantages. new crises “, say the BNR team.
In expressing his disagreement with the proposed final project, Andon Baltakov also noted that it did not correspond with the decisions discussed in the group. That is why he demanded the resignation of Minister of Culture Boil Banov.
“My opinion as CEO is being manipulated and falsified. It really is about laying the foundation for social media. For more than 20 years, society has wanted to have guaranteed free and independent public media. from an administrative point of view, the loopholes for political interests to be pursued in the BNR in particular. I am extremely outraged by the managerial unwillingness to change the Bulgarian legislation, which would guarantee the independent Bulgarian national public radio and completely free from political interference. “said the CEO.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Culture responded that the bill had been posted on its website and that proposals from all interested parties, including Bulgarian National Radio, could be processed until November 18.
After Baltakov’s hearing at the CEM, the president of the regulator Betina Joteva announced that she expects in a few days the decision of the head of the Bulgarian National Radio whether to resign.
Joteva expressed her understanding for Baltakov’s position; it also concluded that participation in such working groups is useless.
“I perfectly understand. On behalf of the CEM, I would also say that our proposals and our participation in the thousands of working groups of this law are more or less unnecessary and useless, it turns out that they are. None of our proposals have been implemented either. “Nobody gives ultimatums. We only want order and to know in the end which bill on radio and television will enter parliament, because there are several options at this time.” Joteva commented to BNR. He expressed his hope that Baltakov will reconsider his decision and finish what he had started on Bulgarian National Radio. Her colleague Rozita Elenova suggested that the CEM support the proposals put forward by the Bulgarian National Radio for changes in the RTA.
Anton Baltakov was elected director of the Bulgarian National Radio in January this year after a CEM contest announced after the crisis in public radio caused by its former director Svetoslav Kostov. The media regulator removed him earlier than planned, after in September 2019 he tried to remove the presenter of the morning block of Bulgarian National Radio Silvia Velikova from the air and then reached an unprecedented suspension of the program “Horizonte” for a few 5 hours on September 13. 2019
The prosecution investigating the case has not yet announced who is at fault.
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