The Bulgarian National Radio is hosting the 25^th Radio Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union, taking place at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia.

Founded in 1950, the union is the biggest professional alliance with 73 public service media from Europe and additional associates from Asia, Africa and USA. The Bulgarian National Radio and Bulgarian National TV joined on 1 January, 1993.

The Radio Assembly is a landmark event for Bulgaria because a forum of such rank is taking place in this country for the very first time – with representatives of 44 public service media from 39 countries of Europe, Asia and Africa attending.

Lord Tony Hall, President of the European Broadcasting Union and Director-General of the BBC stated his deep belief that the antidote against fake news are media outlets like the Bulgarian National Radio, and added that if we want our culture to be presented from all sides, that too iя public service media. Lord Tony Hall went on to say that if you want to unite people, that too is public service media and that they need adequate financing. The public sphere is undergoing cuts but it is worth supporting public media and that time has come, Lord tony Hall said.

In his address, the Director General of the BNR Alexander Velev stressed that despite the challenges connected with the financing of public media, the national radio has done a lot to retain the trust of its audience, and to attract new listeners.

European Broadcasting Union Director-General Noel Curran pointed out that one of the most important differences between public service and commercial media is the content they create and the fact that they are always a source of reliable and verified information. EBU’s Media Director Jean Philip De Tender added that reliable information is still the most efficient weapon journalists have against fake news. As to the EBU’s development, Noel Curran stated that in the world of today when technologies are advancing at such lighting speed, it is essential that the organization have partners outside the union – like streaming platforms whose influence is constantly growing.

Finally, the EBU’s Director-General Noel Curran stated the organization was not betraying its principles:

The forum continues today with discussions on how to attract a younger audience, and the opportunities and challenges of the digital development of public service media.

English version: Milena Daynova