site.bta National Radio Unveils Regional Station in Kurdjali

National Radio Unveils Regional Station in Kurdjali

Kurdjali, Southern Bulgaria, May 9 (BTA) - Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) on Monday unveiled its ninth regional station, The Voice of the Rhodopes, based in Kurdjali. BNR Director General Radoslav Yankoulov, Kurdjali Mayor Hassan Azis and the programming director of the new station, Krassimir Angelov, cut the ribbon.

Initially, The Voice of the Rhodopes will broadcast three hours daily, presenting its own Bulgarian-language programmes. It will be on the air from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m., and the rest of the day it will relay programmes of the BNR Horizont Service and Radio Bulgaria. The duration of the station's own programmes will increase to six hours daily in 2017 and 18 hours in 2019.

A few months ago the intention of BNR to set up a regional radio station in Kurdjali drew conflicting reactions because the original plan was that it would also relay BNR's Turkish-language programmes. Kurdjali Region is home to a sizeable Turkish community.