The Bulgarian National Radio is to play temporary classical music, jazz and folklore music only as of January 1, 2017, Director General of BNR Alexander Velev announced. Alexander Velev explained that Musicautor which manages the copyrights of composers and record labels unilaterally suspended its contract with the BNR and banned it from playing much of the contemporary Bulgarian and foreign music. The Bulgarian National Radio will be able to play much of the classical music, jazz and folklore music on its archive, because its prescription has already expired. Alexander Velev further said that Musicautor insisted that the music royalties paid by the BNR should be three times higher. That demand, however, is a heavy burden on the budget of the BNR and does not correspond with economic realities, because the state funding allotted to the BNR remained unchanged, Alexander Velev further said.