Milena Milotinova Elected Director General of the Bulgarian National Television

Milena Milotinova has been elected Director-General of Bulgarian National Television (BNT). She received the votes of three of the regulator’s five members. The new head of the public service broadcaster returns to BNT confident she will find a team of like-minded colleagues.

The new Director-General was elected in the first round of voting on February 20.

Simona Veleva, Chair of the Council for Electronic Media, said:

“Congratulations to Ms Milena Milotinova. With three votes in favour, she has been elected the new Director-General of BNT.”

Asked by BNT how she felt about returning to the broadcaster, Milotinova said:

“With optimism and with the confidence that at BNT I will find a team of like-minded colleagues who will help me implement the concept I presented to the Council for Electronic Media (CEM) yesterday. BNT was my first professional love.”

Her first priority, she said, will be to meet and speak with teams across the broadcaster in order to begin work on short-term objectives.

Milena Milotinova, Director-General of Bulgarian National Television, said:

“I intend for us to draw up terms of reference so we can commission audience research to understand what viewers expect from us. On that basis, we will conduct an analysis to see where we can add to the schedule, where changes may be needed, and where we might consider new programmes and formats — so that we fully meet the needs and expectations of our audience, and so that BNT can truly become a public service broadcaster in the fullest sense.”

Milena Milotinova’s concept received the backing of Gabriela Naplatanova, Kadrinka Kadrinova and Simona Veleva, members of the Council for Electronic Media.

Dr Gabriela Naplatanova, a member of the regulator, said:

“Ms Milotinova placed emphasis on strengthening the strategic role of Bulgarian National Television as a flagship of high journalistic standards and on expanding its audience. I am convinced that, with the vision she has proposed, Ms Milotinova can be not merely a successful head of BNT, but a unifying figure capable of creating the conditions for its development as an information leader and a carrier of the most important values and cultural achievements of Bulgarian society.”

Kadrinka Kadrinova, also a member of the regulator, said:

“Ms Milotinova highlighted as particularly important the need for a strong presence of investigative journalism, including within news programming. She also underlined her understanding of television as a public defender and watchdog. I believe Ms Milena Milotinova would indeed be a convincing choice for Director-General of BNT, meeting the criteria for professional, organisational and managerial competence. She has my support.”

Simona Veleva, Chair of the Council for Electronic Media, said:

“She has the qualities, the vision and the strength to lead the public broadcaster’s role in these complex circumstances. That is why I will cast my vote for Milena Milotinova, who presented the most detailed, concrete and comprehensive concept.”

Prolet Velkova backed Nevena Andonova.

Velkova, a member of the Council for Electronic Media, said:

“I am deeply convinced that I am taking part in an entirely legitimate procedure for the election of a Director-General. In my view, Nevena Andonova’s concept contains the greatest depth and substance, and if she were given the opportunity to implement it, this would significantly improve the image of Bulgarian National Television and strengthen its authority in society.”

Galina Georgieva voted for Emil Koshlukov, and the regulator’s session did not pass without tension.

Georgieva said:

“I refuse to take responsibility for your rushed actions based on a disputed legal opinion. Clearly, this is the majority within the council that will elect the new Director-General in conditions of political instability, which in my view raises justified doubts about political influence over the council’s decisions.”
Simona Veleva, Chair of the council, responded:

“After numerous speculative complaints that were clearly dismissed as such — including personal attacks against me as chair, attempts at insinuation, paid publications, efforts to undermine my professional and public reputation, and multiple threats received by the council during this period — we nevertheless managed to fulfil our legal duties. I reject any suggestion that this procedure has been rushed.”

The mandate of the Director-General is three years.

Images by BTA, BGNES