site.btaRegulator Licenses National Radio to Launch Bulgarian-Language Regional Programme Service in Kurdjali

Regulator Licenses National Radio to Launch Bulgarian-Language Regional Programme Service in Kurdjali

Sofia, September 29 (BTA) - The Council for Electronic Media (CEM) Tuesday voted to license the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) to launch a regional programme service in Kurdjali (South Central Bulgaria). All four CEM members present voted in favour of the decision. The only member absent was Maria Stoyanova, who had declared that she will stay away from the deliberation of matters concerning the radio.

CEM does not find legal grounds to refuse the issuance of such a licence. The Council Chairman Georgi Lozanov said that the programme service in question will be broadcast in Bulgarian only. "We do not vote on licensing a Turkish-language programme service with regional Turkish content but on a programme service with Bulgarian content in Bulgarian," CEM member Ivo Atanassov concurred.

The initial idea was that the BNR regional radio station in Kurdjali would broadcast three hours of original programming in Bulgarian and would relay three hours of Turkish-language programming from BNR's external service, Radio Bulgaria.

On August 18, CEM met to consider BNR's licensing application but adjourned the decision because a quorum was absent. At the meeting, Stoyanova objected to the proposal, arguing that "180 minutes of Turkish speech and music a day does not contribute to integration." Atanassov, also voiced concern with the volume of the programme service.

Later on, Stoyanova said on Nova Television that the creation of a Turkish-language radio programme by the BNR is a "provocation".

VMRO representatives declared themselves against CEM's decision and said that they will take court action for its suspension.