site.btaParliament Culture Committee Chair Yordanov: National Television and Radio Could Save Millions with Disciplined Spending Choices

Chair of the Committee on Culture and Media and There Is Such a People Floor Leader Toshko Yordanov said on Sunday that both Bulgarian National Television (BNT) and Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) still receive sizeable subsidies and must make more disciplined spending choices.

Yordanov put BNT’s annual budget at BGN 92 million and BNR’s at more than BGN 66 million. He argued that roughly BGN 7 million of the television budget “goes up in the air”.

After speaking with BNT employees who are protesting against planned cuts, Yordanov said the broadcaster could save about BGN 6 million a year by removing two of its programmes from the digital terrestrial multiplexes, plus another BGN 1 million by tightening the programme schedule and reducing copyright fees. Deciding how to restructure staff and redirect the money, he added, is the task of BNT Director General Emil Koshlukov.

Yordanov noted that the Council for Electronic Media can authorise the removal of programmes from multiplexes if the director general submits a formal request. “The director general is looking for political backing,” he said, adding that the committee has enough votes to support such a move and that the regulator has signalled it would approve it.

“These are not internal issues,” Yordanov said. “BNT is a public broadcaster that receives budget funding to fulfil its mandate.”

He also confirmed that committee members are considering legislative amendments to allow BNT more advertising time, which could further improve its finances.

Yordanov commented that the Council for Electronic Media (CEM) could decide to drop programmes from multiplexes if BTA director general submits a formal request. "I understand that the director general seeks political support for this," Yordanov said. Within the committee, there are enough supporters for such an approach, and assurances exist from the CEM that it would be approved, Yordanov noted.

Yordanov said that the issue of public media is not an internal matter. "As a public broadcaster, BNT receives funds from the budget to carry out this work," Yordanov said.

Yordanov also mentioned that he had talked with committee colleagues about the possibility of introducing legislative changes to allow more advertising time on BNT.

Earlier this week, Yordanov asked BNT Director General Emil Koshlukov and BNR Director General Milen Mitev to send him, within days, a list of cost-saving measures they could implement. Speaking at a committee hearing also attended by Council for Electronic Media members, he promised the “purely political” support they would need to act quickly.