BTA Director General Calls for National Support Programmes for Regional Media in Bulgaria

Vanya Suharova, Filip Pavlov

BTA Director General Kiril Valchev at the opening of the discussion “The Future of Regional News” in Sofia, June 11, 2026 (BTA Photo/Hristo Kasabov)

Sofia,

11.06.2026 12:43

(BTA)

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Bulgaria needs national programmes to support regional media, local journalists, and Bulgarian-language media abroad, said BTA Director General Kiril Valchev at the opening of the discussion “The Future of Regional News” in Sofia on Thursday. The discussion is organized by BTA and the Council for Electronic Media (CEM).

Valchev stressed that regional journalism in Bulgaria is in a difficult state, often being dependent on local authorities or business interests. He argued that independent regional reporting could be guaranteed by state- and municipality-backed support programmes.

BTA currently operates 33 press clubs across the country and employs 67 correspondents, with most cities now covered by two reporters. The Agency spends just over 16% of its budget on its correspondent network and has increased journalists’ pay over the past five years, although salaries remain relatively low compared with other public-sector professions.

Valchev emphasized that BTA is modernizing its press clubs, provides reporters with electric vehicles, and has photographed around 4,200 of Bulgaria’s 5,200 settlements to improve visual news coverage. He also highlighted BTA’s efforts to cover all municipal council meetings nationwide and its partnerships with every university in Bulgaria.

He proposed continuing the event with a series of regional discussions in 2027 to address the specific challenges facing regional journalism in different parts of the country.

BTA has invited all regional journalists, regardless of their media outlet, to take part in the event. More than 100 regional journalists from the Agency’s 32 national press clubs outside Sofia have confirmed their participation, not including its nearly 70 correspondents. Invitations have also been sent to BTA’s partners from the Union of Bulgarian National Electronic Media (UBNEM), including BNT, BNR, bTV, Nova TV and Darik Radio, as well as to representatives of the legislative and executive branches. This includes all members of the parliamentary Committee on Culture and Media, the heads of the press services of the President's Office, the National Assembly and the Council of Ministers, the Union of Bulgarian Journalists, and universities that train future journalists.

/MR/