Media regulator voted to remove Svetoslav Kostov as national radio’s director

Bulgaria’s Council for Electronic Media (CEM) voted unanimously on October 17 to support the early termination of the term of office of Svetoslav Kostov as Director General of the Bulgarian National Radio. Anton Mitov, Director of the Archive, was elected as the acting General Director.

The members of CEM said that through the unprecedented 5-hour suspension of broadcasting of BNR’s Horizont morning programme on September 13, Kostov had violated Bulgarians’ constitutional right to information, and the law requiring public broadcasters to remain on air as a matter of national security.

On September 27, CEM gave Kostov a week to submit his resignation. He refused to step down.

Horizont programme of the BNR was off air for 5 hours on the morning of September 13.

The suspension of broadcasting was investigated by several Bulgarian state institutions, including the Prosecutor’s office