site.btaElectronic Media Regulator Gives National Radio Director Kostov a Week to Step Down

September 27 (BTA) - On Friday the Council of Electronic Media (CEM) demanded that the Director General of the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR), Svetoslav Kostov, resigns by the end of next week, the Bulgarian National Television reported. If Kostov does not resign, CEM will meet again in the second week of October and launch the procedure for an early suspension of his mandate.

This was the third meeting of the electronic media regulator amid a crisis at BNR which started with the removal of a popular political show host, Silvia Velikova, and an unprecedented stoppage of the terrestrial transmission of BNR's most popular Horizont Programme for five hours on September 13 in violation of BNR's obligation to broadcast round the clock. At a CEM hearing, Velikova disclosed details of pressure she has been put to by the BNR management, presumably over the way she covered the work of the judiciary (which is her beat) and the only candidate for Prosecutor General (Ivan Geshev). BNR journalists urged the stations's Director General Svetoslav Kostov to step down, but he declined and threatened to sue his critics.

CEM Chair Sofia Vladimirova commented Friday that the crisis is unprecedented and any doubts of pressure are inadmissible. She said that the regulator's confidence in the management is lost, but the worst part is the loss of confidence of the people who work there. Responsibility is taken by resigning, she added.

Kostov told BNT he will not resign within the deadline set by CEM and will continue to work. He also rejected the regulator's claim that there is a crisis at the national radio. The suspension of transmission will also be subject to investigation by the prosecution. LN/BR