On May 15, employees of the three public media outlets staged a protest demanding fair remuneration.
The trade unions CITUB and "Podkrepa" are calling for a minimum 15% salary increase at BNT (Bulgarian National Television), BNR (Bulgarian National Radio), and BTA (Bulgarian News Agency). The required additional funding amounts to 14 million BGN in total—6 million for BNT, 5 million for BNR, and 3 million for BTA. A letter has also been sent to the Minister of Finance requesting an urgent meeting to discuss how this increase could be implemented.
The protest under the slogan "Labour in the media has value" started at 12.00 and blocked the intersection in front of Sofia University.
Nedyalko Danov, camera operator, Strike Committee of BNT:
“We are demanding fair wages for our dignified work. Chronic underfunding of the three national public media outlets threatens the very future of our professions. BNT is a budget-funded institution, yet since 2009 there hasn’t been a single lev allocated for personnel expenditure—this includes wages and salaries.”
Darina Grigorova, BNR:
“BNR and BNT are funded based on hours of programming. However, both produce far more than scheduled broadcasts—they also operate online and on multiple platforms. It is unjust to quantify the work of IT specialists, musicians, sound engineers, and archivists, specilaist working in the of the Gold Fund, based solely on programme hours. Many highly educated professionals working in these departments receive alarmingly low wages.”
Valeria Dimitrova, BTA:
“A net salary of 1,100 to 1,300 BGN for a young reporter at BTA is simply not enough for a decent standard of living. These colleagues typically stay for one or two years, during which time our most experienced reporters and editors are engaged with training them—only for them to leave shortly after.”
The BNT teams continue to carry out their duties and there will be no programme interruptions or changes to the programming schedule.
Regional Protests
Plovdiv Regional TV Centre
Colleagues from Plovdiv stated that the protest defends not only their rights but also the very mission of public service media. The centre provides comprehensive coverage not only for Bulgaria’s second-largest city but also for much of Southern Bulgaria, and even Northern Greece and Turkey in critical situations.
The protest is in defence not only of us the people, but also of the mission of the public media, which is already under question, said colleagues in Plovdiv. The TV centre there covers not only the second largest city, but also a large part of southern Bulgaria, even northern Greece and Turkey in critical situations.
“The reality is that most of us earn salaries far below the national average. If this continues, it will deeply affect the media environment. The crisis could open the floodgates to fake news, propaganda, demagoguery, and even gossip may gain a new legitimacy," said the team.
“Our demand for fair pay is not just about income—it is a civic stance by people who love and believe in what they do, often despite overwhelming odds.”
Varna Regional TV Centre
In Varna, employees of all three public media also joined the protest, emphasising that regional centres are the media voice of local communities. Varna’s team covers not just the city itself, but also Burgas, Dobrich, and Shumen—and since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, even reports from Odessa. Journalists reminded the public that public media are a vital part of a healthy civil society.
Blagoevgrad Regional TV Centre
Colleagues in Blagoevgrad echoed the same core demands—fair pay, higher wages, and respect for their work. The centre serves the Kyustendil and Blagoevgrad regions, covering five border checkpoints and often reporting on events in North Macedonia and Greece.
Ruse Regional TV Centre
In Ruse, BNT employees also joined the protest. Their teams serve nearly all of Northern Bulgaria, including Silistra, Razgrad, Targovishte, Veliko Tarnovo, Pleven, and Lovech, and occasionally even neighbouring Romania. The Ruse team highlighted that due to low wages, it is increasingly difficult to attract young professionals, and that even seasoned, proven employees are leaving the sector in search of better opportunities.
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