Bulgarian Parliament Approves Changes to Radio and TV Act

MPs of the GERB ruling party declared that changes to Bulgaria's Radio and Television Act are not political but a way to cut administrative expenses. Photo by Sofia News Agency

Bulgaria’s Parliament approved amendments to the Television and Radio Act that will bring down membership of the Bulgarian Council for Electronic Media to 5 people.

During Wednesday’s parliamentary discussion a majority of 96 Bulgarian MPs supported the motion that the number of members of the Council for Electronic Media be brought down from 9 to 5.

The changes were proposed by members of the GERB center-right ruling party and were met with criticism from the opposition.

According to the Bulgarian socialists and the ethnic Turkish party DPS, the amendments to the Act are political and are aimed at influencing the future election of heads of the National Television (BNT) and the National Radio (BNR).

DPS MPs claimed that the new SEM membership rules are directed at serving the government’s interests and demanded that Bulgaria’s Constitutional Court has a final say in the matter.

GERB representatives responded by saying that media reforms were planned as early as 2009 and that there is no political motive for the proposed changes. Amendments to the Act, said GERB MPs, are intended solely at minimizing administrative expenses.

Representatives of the ruling center-right GERB party also noted that previous Bulgarian governments have also made similar changes.

According to the approved changes, SEM will have a membership of 5 people- three from the parliamentary quota and two from the presidential quota. All members who have had two consecutive mandates must leave the Electronic Media Council.

Last week, BNR and BNT refused to run BSP’s promotional 1 May clip claiming that it did not correspond to the requirements for a commercial media message.

Outraged over the rejection, Bulgarian socialists accused the two national media of political partiality.

The socialists also expressed doubt that the then pending changes in the number of members of the Bulgarian Council for Electronic Media (SEM) – membership will be brought down from 9 to 5 – is aimed at shifting power. According to Bulgaria's left-wingers, the SEM majority will be able to control the future digitalization of BNT and BNR.

Seven companies have filed bids for joining the contest for the construction of a multiplex, which will distribute the digital programs of the national state-owned television BNT and radio BNR, according to reports.

Bulgaria's telecoms regulator, the Communications Regulation Commission, has refused to disclose the names of the companies, citing the reshuffle that the watchdog is submitted to.

The analogue switch-off in Bulgaria should be wrapped up in December 2012.

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