Bulgaria

[BG] Reports on the Activity of the Council for Electronic Media in 2012

IRIS 2013-10:1/11

Rayna Nikolova

New Bulgarian University

On 12 September 2013, the National Assembly adopted two decisions for information purposes regarding two reports of the Council for Electronic Media (CEM), which cover the period from 1 January 2012 to 30 June 2012 and the period from 1 July 2012 to 31 December 2012 respectively.

The CEM is obliged under the provisions of Article 86(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria and Article 39(1) of the Radio and Television Act to submit to the National Assembly a report on its activity for the first half of each current year not later than 31 October in the same year and for the second half of the last preceding year not later than 31 March in the current year for consideration by the Parliament.

The reports contain information about the activity of the CEM with regard to the grants of radio and television programme licences and registrations for networks both for analogue and digital broadcasting. Moreover, the reports provide information about the grant of television broadcasting licences for the establishment of programmes within nationwide coverage distributed via electronic communications networks for digital terrestrial television. The obligation to submit the report to the National Assembly and the latter’s adoption by decision serves the purpose to have transparent and open procedures within the CEM.

In the reporting period the CEM has adopted “Methodology Guidelines” with regard to the characteristics of prohibited surreptitious commercial communication and product placement as a commercial communication form in media service providers’ programmes.

According to the reports, in 2012, the CEM has carried out a second administrative reform - the Law on Civil Servants has been implemented in the administrative services of the Council in compliance with the amendments contained in Article 22 of the Radio and Television Act (IRIS 2012-8/12).