Bulgaria

[BG] Revocation of the license of ‘TV Seven’ EAD

IRIS 2016-10:1/6

Rayna Nikolova

New Bulgarian University

On 13 September 2016, the Council for Electronic Media (CEM) decided that the licenses of ‘TV Seven’ EAD for the provision of audio-visual media services ‘TV7’ and ‘Super 7’ shall be revoked. Sofia City Court had opened bankruptcy proceedings for ‘TV Seven’ EAD and announced the initial date of the bankruptcy by way of resolution no 522 on 17 March 2016. According to CEM, the Radio and Television Act (RTA) envisages that when a media service provider is in bankruptcy proceedings it does not meet the requirements of the law and the CEM shall revoke the license.

СЕМ decided to admit a preliminary execution of its decision on the grounds of the defence of important state and public interests. The provider is not able to execute its assumed programme obligations related to the development of contents, where there must be broadcasts in the information, education, cultural, and entertainment sphere, designated for the major part of society. Regardless of the must-carry right of ‘TV7’, an enterprise which has received permission to use an individually identified radio-frequency spectrum for a land digit radio broadcasting of national scope, the financial problems of ‘TV Seven’ EAD required suspension of its broadcasting in the beginning of December 2015. The ‘SUPER 7’ programme has never been broadcast in the network of the multiplex. The insolvency of the company, on the other hand, impedes them paying the annual fees for supervision and this reflects on the receipts in the state budget.

The reason for the financial problems of the media is that it was funded by Corporate Commercial Bank, which became bankrupt in the summer of 2014. The television has many creditors like the Corporate Commercial Bank, National Revenue Agency, organizations for collective management of copyright: ‘MUSICAUTOR’ and PROPHON, NURTS, which are/and producers which have created its contents.

In 2009, the television received its broadcast license thanks to amendments in the Law on Electronic Communications (See: IRIS 2009-5/12). In 2010, it received its digital licenses (See: IRIS 2010-7/10).