Bulgarian National Radio (BNR)
The Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) is Bulgaria’s national radio broadcaster. It operates two nationwide channels—Horizon, offering a blend of news and music, and Hristo Botev, focused on science, arts, culture, documentaries, and music—as well as nine regional channels and an international service (Radio Bulgaria) broadcasting in 11 languages.
Media assets
Radio: National- Horizont, Hristo Botev; Regional- Radio Blagoevgrad, Radio Burgas, Radio Kırcali, Radio Plovdiv, Radio Shumen, Radio Sofiya, Radio Stara Zagora, Radio Varna, Radio Vidin; International- Radio Bulgaria
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
BNR shares the same legal structure as its sister broadcaster BNT and operates under similar regulations. It is governed by a five-member Management Board that includes the General Director, all appointed by the Council for Electronic Media (CEM)—Bulgaria’s media regulatory authority. Composition of the CEM itself is politically influenced, with three members appointed by Parliament and two by the President, raising legitimate concerns about BNR’s editorial autonomy.
The current Director General (equivalent of CEO) is Milen Mitev. He first returned to BNR in April 2020 as Administrative Director, became Acting Director General mid-2021, and was officially appointed Director General in November 2021. He was re-elected for a second three-year term by the CEM on October 17, 2024, earning the support of three of the five Council members.
Source of funding and budget
BNR is financed primarily through state subsidies, which must be dedicated to the production and broadcast of national and regional programming; these subsidies are determined annually based on average programme-production costs approved by the Council of Ministers.
In 2023, BNR operated with a total budget of BGN 65.8 million (USD 36.7 million), of which roughly BGN 59 million came from government transfers. In 2024, BNR’s adopted budget was BGN 62,974,400, as approved by Parliament. In 2025, the budget was increased to BGN 66,132,500, including BGN 3,900,000 specified under the Radio and Television Act.
Editorial independence
Despite its reputation for relatively objective and high-quality editorial work, often seen as more professional than its television counterpart, BNR continues to face significant pressure. BNR’s autonomy is weakened in practice, with political pressure and chronic underfunding continuing to limit its editorial independence.
There have been multiple incidents of government interference, such as dismissals of experienced journalists and temporary broadcasting suspensions.
The station’s Public Council, made up of seven expert professionals meant to oversee programming quality, is seen as undercut—its ability to operate independently has been compromised by management pressure.
August 2025