Media assets

Television: BNT 1, BNT 2, BNT 3, BNT 4

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

BNT was established as a state corporation by the Radio and Television Act of 1998. Its main governing structure is a management board of five members—including the General Director—appointed by the Council for Electronic Media (CEM), Bulgaria’s media regulator. However, meaningful autonomy remains elusive because the CEM’s five members are themselves appointed by Parliament (three members) and the President (two members), reinforcing political influence over BNT.

Emil Koshlukov continues to serve as acting General Director, though his official three-year term has long expired. Repeated attempts to appoint a new head have failed. For instance, on July 15, 2025, the CEM held another election: Koshlukov received only one “for” vote, while other candidates fared no better, and no candidate secured the necessary majority. Under the Radio and Television Act, an acting director remains in place until a successor is formally elected. The European Commission also highlighted this stalemate as problematic in its 2025 report, noting that the election delay undermines independent governance and that the broadcaster remains in a state of ad interim leadership.

Source of funding and budget

BNT is funded through a mix of state subsidies and commercial revenues. In earlier years, government transfers composed the lion’s share of its budget (e.g., BGN 68 million in 2019, over 85 % of total budget; BGN 86.23 million in 2023) with little enforcement of the intended license fee collection system.

The State budget allocated BGN 86.9 million to BNT in 2024, according to a news report. For 2025, Parliament approved a higher allocation of BGN 93.6 million.

Editorial independence

Legally, BNT is tasked with a broad public-service mission, including diverse news, culture, education, and representation of all segments of society. The Radio and Television Act stipulates editorial independence, intending to shield programming from political and commercial influence.

However, BNR’s autonomy is weakened in practice, with political pressure and chronic underfunding continuing to limit its editorial independence. Under Emil Koshlukov’s tenure, editorial independence has been widely questioned. Scholars and critics cite increasingly government-aligned coverage and direct interference in editorial processes.

BNT does have an internal Public Council, comprising eight supposedly independent professionals, intended to monitor programming and offer feedback. Yet in practice, especially amid current management, this body has been largely ineffective; publicly available records show only one note from 2018.

September 2025

Media assets

Radio: National- Horizont, Hristo Botev; Regional- Radio Blagoevgrad, Radio Burgas, Radio Kırcali, Radio Plovdiv, Radio Shumen, Radio Sofiya, Radio Stara Zagora, Radio Varna, Radio Vidin; International- Radio Bulgaria

State Media Matrix Typology

State-Controlled (SC)

Ownership and governance

BNR shares the same legal structure as its sister broadcaster BNT and operates under similar regulations. It is governed by a five-member Management Board that includes the General Director, all appointed by the Council for Electronic Media (CEM)—Bulgaria’s media regulatory authority. Composition of the CEM itself is politically influenced, with three members appointed by Parliament and two by the President, raising legitimate concerns about BNR’s editorial autonomy.

The current Director General (equivalent of CEO) is Milen Mitev. He first returned to BNR in April 2020 as Administrative Director, became Acting Director General mid-2021, and was officially appointed Director General in November 2021. He was re-elected for a second three-year term by the CEM on October 17, 2024, earning the support of three of the five Council members.

Source of funding and budget

BNR is financed primarily through state subsidies, which must be dedicated to the production and broadcast of national and regional programming; these subsidies are determined annually based on average programme-production costs approved by the Council of Ministers.

In 2023, BNR operated with a total budget of BGN 65.8 million (USD 36.7 million), of which roughly BGN 59 million came from government transfers. In 2024, BNR’s adopted budget was BGN 62,974,400, as approved by Parliament. In 2025, the budget was increased to BGN 66,132,500, including BGN 3,900,000 specified under the Radio and Television Act.

Editorial independence

Despite its reputation for relatively objective and high-quality editorial work, often seen as more professional than its television counterpart, BNR continues to face significant pressure. BNR’s autonomy is weakened in practice, with political pressure and chronic underfunding continuing to limit its editorial independence.

There have been multiple incidents of government interference, such as dismissals of experienced journalists and temporary broadcasting suspensions.

The station’s Public Council, made up of seven expert professionals meant to oversee programming quality, is seen as undercut—its ability to operate independently has been compromised by management pressure.

August 2025

Media assets

News agency: BTA

State Media Matrix Typology

Independent State Funded and State Managed (ISFM)

Ownership and governance

BTA is governed by a Statute enacted by Parliament in June 1994. The Statute designates the agency as “an independent national news organization,” and its Director-General is appointed by Parliament. As of mid-2025, the current Director-General is Kiril Valchev, who continues to hold the position. 

Source of funding and budget

BTA is funded through a mix of revenue sources, including proceeds from content sales, advertising, and government subsidies. In 2023, the government allocated over BGN 12.2 million (approximately US$ 6.8 million), while the agency generated around BGN 775,000 in commercial revenue.

In 2024, BTA’s core budget amounted to BGN 11.85 million, supplemented by BGN 2 million earmarked for additional funding to support remuneration, institutional capacity, and the strengthening of its network of correspondent offices. In 2025, Parliament approved a budget of BGN 15,7 million, representing a significant year-on-year increase.

Editorial independence

BTA’s editorial coverage has historically been subjected to political pressures, yet there remains no documented evidence of recent interference in the agency’s editorial line. The 1994 Statute continues to guarantee an independent editorial policy, protecting BTA from economic and political influence.

Nonetheless, the absence of an independent oversight mechanism remains a gap—no external body currently assesses or validates BTA’s editorial independence.

September 2025