Bulgaria

[BG] Public Financing of the Bulgarian National Television in 2011

IRIS 2011-3:1/9

Rayna Nikolova

New Bulgarian University

Pursuant to Art. 70, para. 1 of the Закон за радиото и телевизията (Radio and Television Act) the Bulgarian National Television shall prepare, perform and report on a separate budget. In addition, according to Art. 70, para. 3, item 3 of the Radio and Television Act, part of the budget of the Bulgarian National Television comes as a State subsidy.

The subsidy from the State budget shall be used for the preparation, creation and broadcasting of national and regional programmes. According to Art. 8 of the Закон за държавния бюджет на Република България за 2011 г. (State Budget Act for 2011) the National Assembly approved a subsidy from the State budget for the Bulgarian National Television of the amount of BGN 60,100,000 (approx. EUR 30,730,000).

The subsidy is based on an estimate of one programme hour as adopted by the Council of Ministers (State Gazette No 2, dated 7 January 2011). According to the estimates of the Government for 2011 one programme hour shall amount to BGN 1,978 (approx. EUR 1,000).

The Director General of the Bulgarian National Television shall, within one month after the promulgation of the budget, present to the Minister of Finance a monthly estimate of expenses.

Pursuant to Art. 28, para. 1 of the Постановление № 323 от 28 декември 2010 г. за предоставяне на допълнителна субсидия на Българската национална телевизия за 2010 г., (State Budget Structure Act) the Council of Ministers adopted a special regulation providing an additional subsidy to the Bulgarian National Television for 2010 of the amount of BGN 10,098,227 (approx. EUR 5,130,000) for the payment of some broadcasting television programme fees.

The said fees are due to be paid by the Bulgarian National Television to the telecommunications operator Vivacom. The latter had filed a court claim against the Bulgarian National Television on 9 April 2010 on the grounds of unpaid amounts.