Search results : 245

Refine your search
Results display : Short Long
IRIS 2017-3:1/7 [BG] Changes in the Media Law on individual use of spectrum

On 27 December 2016, Article 116j of the Radio and Television Act (RTA) was revoked. This amendment to the RTA was promulgated in issue 103 of the State Gazette. Article 116j was only introduced into the RTA in 2009; however, in 2015, the European Court of Justice decided that it violated European Union law. Therefore, in December 2016, the Council of Ministers introduced a bill which revoked Article 116j RTA. Article 116j RTA: (1) An undertaking, whereto the Communications Regulation Commission has granted an authorization for use of an individually assigned scarce resource in the radio spectrum,...

IRIS 2017-1:1/6 [BG] Procedure for selection of General Directors of the national public service broadcasters

On 18 October 2016, the Council for Electronic Media (CEM) approved a procedure for the selection of the General Directors of the national public service broadcasters. The provision of Article 32 paragraph 1 subparagraph 2 of the Radio and Television Act (RTA) provides CEM the authority to choose a General Director of both national public broadcasters. The legislator has not identified the procedure for the selection yet. In its permanent practice, the Supreme Administrative Court decided that if an explicit provision in the law is missing, CEM could identify the rules on its own. Guided by the...

IRIS 2016-10:1/6 [BG] Revocation of the license of ‘TV Seven’ EAD

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...

IRIS 2016-9:1/10 [BG] Extending the mandates of the members of management boards of the public media

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...

IRIS 2016-8:1/5 [BG] A report on the monitoring of personal information during broadcasts

On 21 June 2016, the Council for Electronic Media (CEM) came out with a report on an incident related to a contestant of the rhythmic gymnastics national team, in which a young woman fell out of an apartment on 6th floor. Without a confirmation by the official authorities, the media categorized the incident as an attempted suicide and reported it extensively. The purpose of CEM’s report is to trace whether the requirements of the Radio and Television Act (RTA) related to the personal life and privacy have been observed during the broadcast of the case, whether there is any risk of a secondary victimization,...