Bulgaria

[BG] Report on the Proportion of European Works and Independent Productions

IRIS 2013-1:1/11

Raina Nikolova

New Bulgarian University

On 1 November 2012, the Council for Electronic Media (CEM) published a report on the proportion of European works in Bulgarian television broadcasting for the year 2011. Article 16 of the Directive for Audiovisual Media Services (AVMSD) requires broadcasters to reserve a majority proportion of their transmission time, excluding the time appointed to news, sports events, games, advertising, teletext services and teleshopping, for European works. Article 17 AVMSD requires broadcasters to reserve a minimum proportion (at least 10%) of their transmission time, excluding the time appointed to news, sports events, games, advertising, teletext services and teleshopping, for European works created by independent producers.

The summary for the calendar year 2011 contains data of 47 television programmes with national coverage and 28 linear media services providers. A preliminary letter of request had been sent to all linear media providers. All, except for three, have responded to the letter.

27 programmes comply with Art. 16 AVMSD and the stipulated majority of European works in their overall broadcasting time. According to the report, the proportion of independent productions (Art. 17 AVMSD) has been adhered in 23 programs.

In only four of the television programmes, the percentage of time for European works, created by producers who are independent of broadcasters is below the required 10%. Two of them are programmes of the provider Fox International Channels. In its response, the provider "Fox International Channels Bulgaria" has explained the low percentage of European independent works in the programmes "Fox Crime" and "Fox Life" was due to their specificity, (the programs are special-interest channels, respectively for the "civil-legal and criminal-legal system in the United States” and “the American way of life"). In this context, the report emphasized Arts. 16 and 17 AVMSD, which require the designated minimal time for European (independent) productions in television programmes only where the proportion can be achieved practically and by appropriate means.