site.btaBTA Director General Valchev: Today We Are Setting Example of Cooperation between Media in Bulgaria

“Today, the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) and Bulgarian New Agency (BTA) are setting an example of cooperation between the media in Bulgaria, because the public interest puts cooperation before competition,” said BTA Director General Kiril Valchev at the presentation of the February issue of LIK magazine, dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the national radio. The event took place on Tuesday night at the BNR’s building.

"Some of you may remember that I hosted a radio show for 28 years on the national Darik Radio, but in this issue of LIK you will read my self-confession that BNR has always been my point of reference," Valchev said. In his words, the public radio has been a point of reference for how to dress in the studio - in a suit like BNR’s first director Sirak Skitnik, and to always be well prepared with your questions.

Kiril Valchev said that the cooperation between BNR and BTA has a 90-year history. "The latest example is Radio LIK," he said. He added that thanks to the director of the Hristo Botev programme, Kin Stoyanov, LIK magazine is presented on air every week. Valchev said that the exhibition "90 Years of BNR - the Radio of Generations of Bulgarians" is an example of another cooperation - between the national news agency and the State Archives Agency. He added that BTA owes to the Agency its first digitized bulletin from 1898.

Kiril Valchev quoted too famous words of St John of Rila: "’Let us try to live with one heart and one mind.’ Today we are setting just such an example of unity in the actions of the Bulgarian National Radio and the Bulgarian News Agency. “

Valchev went on: "I would like to draw attention to two practical things where more unity is needed in these times. One is about the mutual respect between the media. Almost every day all Bulgarian media gather at the fence of the Bulgarian National Radio to interview the interview guests at the studios of our national public radio. asking the same questions they have already answered just to avoid crediting the Bulgarian National Radio", said Valchev. He said all media should overcome the selfish idea that everything starts and happens only with them. 

According to Kiril Valchev, the second thing that needs more unity given that the state budget has been submitted is related to the funding of the Bulgarian media - both public and private. "If our society rightly agrees that teachers should receive a salary slightly higher than the national average – at 125%, I believe that journalists should be considered equal to teachers and receive a sign of recognition through the state budget. The money will not be huge, but the gesture will be. This would become an incentive for private media as well. And our state should also think of projects to support quality journalism. Because before artificial intelligence in the media, we should take care of natural intelligence," said Kiril Valchev.