Bulgaria

[BG] Extending the mandates of the members of management boards of the public media

IRIS 2016-9:1/10

Rayna Nikolova

New Bulgarian University

The People's Assembly has passed an amendment to the Radio and Television Act (RTA), published in "Official Gazette" and in force since 5 August 2016, which extends by law the mandate of the management board.

With the first amendment of the RTA, published in "Official Gazette" from 17 June 2016, a similar change had been introduced for the General Directors of the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) and the Bulgarian National Televesion (BNT). According to the amendment, the General Director of BNR and the General Director of BNT can continue to exercise their rights after their mandates expire, until the new General Directors begin their duties. The main purpose of the bill was to avoid a gap in the management of BNR and BNT in case the mandate of the General Directors expired before the election of a new General Director (see IRIS 2016-8/4).

The reason for the current second amendment is that, one month after the expiration of the mandate of the General Director of the BNT, the mandates of the members of the management board also expire. Since the People's Assembly examined and passed the text of the first amendment at first and second reading in one meeting, nobody submitted any proposals to extend by law the mandates of the members of the management boards as well. The new provision extends the mandate of the members of the management boards of BNR and BNT until the establishment of a new management board by the Council for Electronic Media (CEM).

The present General Director of BNT has no right to a third consecutive mandate according to the law. CEM undertook a procedure on determining new regulations for the nomination of General Directors, which is available on the website for one month for public discussion, as required by the Administrative Procedure Code.