PM describes controversy over national radio as sabotage against government

Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borissov described the controversy over the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) as “sabotage against the government”. On September 16, he commented that the state is governed through someone’s phone, not through the institutions.

If it’s his phone, I understand, maybe he knows, because it was sabotage against the government, against the freedom of the media in the person of Sylvia Velikova, who I personally defended and I am sure that she knows that not only the government but we as a party do not participate in this sabotage. I hope prosecutors will finish the checks today and tomorrow, the PM said.

Horizont programme of the BNR was off air for 5 hours on the morning of September 13, officially because of technical issue but mostly seen as a consequence of the removal of journalist Sylvia Velikova from the programme.

Today, the Electronic Media Council held a hearing of BNR Director General Svetoslav Kostov about the tension in the radio and in connection with the suspension of the Horizon programme for 5 hours on Friday. Kostov explained to the regulator that the cause was a technical problem.

A problem with a fiber-optic data transmission cable is the technical reason for stopping the broadcast of Horizon on Friday morning, the head of public radio explained.

He again stated that there was no censorship of journalist Sylvia Velikova. As of today, Horizont programme has a new director - longtime journalist Martin Minkov. He replaces Nikolai Krustev, who resigned over the scandal.

The suspension of broadcasting is being investigated by several Bulgarian state institutions, including the Prosecutor’s office. The investigation was ordered by Chief Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov, as the BNR as public broadcaster is meant to always remain on air.

On September 16, Bulgaria’s Radev demanded that the BNR leadership explains the real motives for the unprecedented five-hour stoppage of the station. He said that freedom of expression in Bulgaria is in crisis.

Freedom of expression is at the heart of democracy, it is of fundamental value, and obviously in Bulgaria it is in crisis, Radev said.

BNR had not stopped broadcasting even during the Second World War, he added. This again confirms who and how governs the public media. Obviously, the state is also governed by someone’s phone, not through institutions, as is normal European practice. And I think it’s about time to put an end to it. Yet, in my opinion, there is a ray of hope. And this is in the behaviour and reaction of the BNR journalists, who clearly showed solidarity and supported by their colleagues from other media, who gave an example of how to defend dignity, how to defend freedom of speech and professional standards,” Radev said.