site.btaKiril Vulchev Elected by Parliament as Bulgarian News Agency's Director General

Sofia, January 27 (BTA) - Parliament elected here on Wednesday
Kiril Vulchev as the Bulgarian News Agency's (BTA) Director
General for a five year term. Vulchev's bid to head the national
 news agency was supported by 105 MPs, none abstained or were
against. He took an oath in Parliament following his election.

The other candidate for the post, Ivaylo Danailov, was supported
  by 65 MPs, two voted against and 87 abstained.

Parliament put to the vote the nominated candidates in 
alphabetical order. Danailov was nominated by the Bulgarian 
Socialist Party and Vulchev - by GERB. A candidate is considered
  elected under the adopted rules of procedure if they receive 
more than half of the votes of the attending MPs.

During his hearing by the Parliamentary Culture and Media
Committee last week, Vulchev vowed to insist on making access to
 BTA's news content free for everyone. That is why he believes
BTA must keep providing quick and accurate information. His
plans are to turn the news agency into a source of news from the
 whole Balkans for the world, which would require BTA to open
correspondent offices in all neighbouring countries. The first
one is planned for Skopje.

The trade unions at BTA and its interim Director General had
expressed their support for
journalist and lawyer Kiril Vulchev, who started off as a
reporter at the news agency and was then its legal adviser.

Vulchev's election to the post comes after longtime BTA Director
  General Maxim Minchev passed away last November after being
treated for COVID-19.

Kiril Vulchev was born in Sofia on May 24, 1973. He graduated
Sofia University with a law degree. He has also completed a
professional radio management course at Deutche Welle in Germany
 (1995), a leadership program with the German Marshall Fund in
the US (2000) and an internship with BBC's Bulgarian section in
London.

Vulchev worked as a reporter at BTA's English Service between
1993 and 1995. He has been hosting Darik Radio's weekly radio
show since 1993.

BTA's newly elected chief is also Secretary of the Union of
Bulgarian National Electronic Media. As a lawyer, he has focused
 on matters related to media and copyright, and served as BTA's
and Darik Radio's legal advisor. He has contributed to drafting
the Bulgarian News Agency Act in 2011. Vulchev is the recipient
of numerous awards and recognitions in the media field. NV/MY