BNT Director General: I believe BNT will become the home of TV election campaigning during the pandemic

During the election campaign, every weekday from 16.00, BNT will broadcast debates with political parties, the Director General of the public service broadcaster BNT, Emil Koshlukov, said on February 1.

(Ed.note: Bulgaria will hold parliamentary elections on April 4, 2021)

"In this situation, we should be much more generous to the parties, but especially to the voters. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, I guess that the political forces will not be able to hold rallies or gather many people in public places, because of the anti-epidemic measures, and they will need more TV air time. I believe that our duty as a public service broadcaster is to provide it. That's why we will broadcast debates every weekday, something we've never done before, i.e. viewers will have the opportunity to watch and hear all parties registered for the elections. We will dedicate a lot of TV time to them," Koshlukov stressed.

There will be debates in all four editions of “Panorama” and “Referendum” current affairs shows before the elections.

"After the central and late news casts, we have special formats, where in addition to the traditional chronicles of the parties, there will be essays and portraits of the candidates. I would advise all parties to take advantage of this. If they want a new face, let them show it," he recommended.

The regional BNT centres in Blagoevgrad, Rousse, Plovdiv and Varna, will organize debates for the local political party leaders two or three times a week.

We are negotiating with the Central Election Commission to make a programme for the polling stations commissions, because there is no way to get together 70,000 people for training during the period of the anti-epidemic measures. In addition, voting at the upcoming elections will take place differently, as voting machines will be used. BNT will do what we did with the lessons for pupils during the first phase of the epidemic and make specific programmes about how to work with those voting machines, " BNT DG said.

The public service broadcaster will sign an agreement with all political parties that will participate in the elections. The time, according to the election legislation, it will be the same for everyone. The manner in which they participate is determined by drawing lots by the CEC. We have a show for parliamentary and non-parliamentary parties. I believe that this year we have given a lot, Emil Koshlukov explained.

There will be an interactive map on our website and mobile application. It will be possible to see all the candidates, with the programmes of the parties and the promises they have made for the people. I believe that BNT will become the home of the election campaigns, not only because we will give the most information. The commercial media cannot afford to show so many debates and disputes. I believe that we will make such a presentation and analysis of the results on the election night that other media will not have. I think everyone will watch, Emil Koshlukov remarked.

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