site.btaBTA Director General Addressing Parliament: BTA's Success Is Your Success

At a parliamentary sitting on Friday, Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) Director General Kiril Valchev presented BTA's 2024 activity and financial report, which was Parliament approved unanimously by all 149 present MPs. Valchev told the MPs that BTA's success is also their success.

Before the vote, Valchev stated: "You backed the most important strategic goal: opening up the BTA services to all users. You helped BTA to become a platform for real news where press releases stand separately from the journalistic pieces. You helped BTA to become a platform of knowledge about all regions in the Balkans."

He also said that thanks to Parliament's support, BTA has partnered with 50 regional news agencies, which is an opportunity for Bulgaria to be present in all these countries and have access to news about them "from the source".

The report points out that 2024 was the third consecutive year of having BTA's news published for free. Last year, additional measures were taken to ensure the security of servers and domains.

In the 2024 state budget, the National Assembly allocated an additional BGN 2 million for remuneration to strengthen the capacity and activities of BTA and its correspondent offices. BTA has already staffed its correspondent offices across Bulgaria, except in the regional cities of Gabrovo, Kardzhali, and Silistra, where the agency is still seeking a second correspondent. Since September 2024, BTA correspondents across the country have been covering municipal council meetings systematically.

In 2024, BTA introduced 30 electric vehicles for correspondents across the country and reporters in Sofia, as well as 10 hybrid vehicles for correspondents abroad and for the central office in Sofia. Additionally, two minibuses were acquired for group travel to events and training sessions.

A new external elevator became operational at the National Press Club in Sofia, reaching all floors of the building. The top floor was previously accessible only by stairs. A new parking lot with charging stations for electric vehicles was also added. The agency’s building entrances were upgraded with two indoor electric stair platforms installed to provide access for people with disabilities.

To promote free access, BTA continued efforts to expand its systematic presence on social media.

The new website and the reorganization of BTA’s operations ensure a clear distinction between press releases and journalistic materials. The number of official press releases published by BTA in 2024 rose by 20%, reaching 27,307 compared to 22,716 in 2023.

In 2024, BTA continued working on developing topics, territories, and formats of the more than 210,000 pieces of information it distributes annually, as noted in the Agency's report.

Twelve new sections were created, including an English-language World section and the BTA Archives section for daily promotion of historical events and public figures. Other new sections in both Bulgarian and English included “Bulgaria at the Paris 2024 Olympics,” three “VOTE” sections for the European Parliament elections on June 9, 2024, and for the early parliamentary elections on June 9 and October 27, 2024.

The number of photos in BTA’s news services increased by over 20% compared to 2023 and ninefold compared to 2020. Video materials nearly doubled compared to 2023 and increased over nine times compared to 2020, the report adds.

The LIK magazine continued to be published regularly each month since its restoration in 2022. In 2024, 12 regular issues were released, including three in English. With the assistance of the National Academy of Arts, BTA created the LIK font.

BTA opened a National Press Club at the Bulgarian St. Kliment Ohridski Antarctic base on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. A National Press Club with a full-time correspondent was also opened in Belgrade, Serbia.

In 2024, the establishment of national press clubs—correspondent offices—in all regional centres was completed with the opening of a new National Press Club in Montana, the relocation of the one in Kyustendil, and the continued opening of clubs in larger cities that are not regional centres, such as Troyan. A total of 1,980 press conferences and events were held at BTA press clubs, according to the report.

In addition to the European Parliament elections, covered by correspondents in all EU member state capitals, BTA also reported on elections in Bulgaria’s neighbouring countries—Greece, North Macedonia, Romania, and Turkiye—as well as in the UK, Germany, India, the US, France, and Croatia.

BTA organized the 19th World Meeting of Bulgarian Media in Odesa, Bolhrad, and Izmail in Ukraine, where large Bulgarian communities live. The topic was “Media and Community,” and the forum was held in a hybrid format—both in person and online—with journalists from 14 countries, including Bulgaria. From June 19 to 21, 2024, amid air raid alerts and the hum of power generators, three panel discussions were held.

Since last year, BTA’s archives have been relocated to climate-controlled rooms. About 35% of the photos and many bulletins have been digitized. A reading room and an information centre have been established. BTA’s newsroom has been renovated. Two bomb shelters in the agency's building in Sofia were also refurbished and equipped.