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Top executives at public broadcasters are as powerful and influential as the institutions they serve. The jobs are highly sought. Those selected come credentialed, pedigrees even, with public institutions and, sometimes, broadcasting. Current circumstances being what they are, few stick around.
Bulgarian National Television (BNT) has a new Director General. Emil Koshlukov was appointed (July 5) by media regulator Council for Electronic Media (CEM). He had been serving as interim DG since April, after a year as program director of main TV channel BNT1. Prior to that he skipped through several TV jobs since 2006, from reality TV contestant and talk-show host to managerial positions. Three CEM members voted for Mr. Koshlukov, the other two voted for Sasho Yovkov, a long-time BNT sports reporter. Mr. Koshlukov made a pitch for technology, Mr. Yovkov for news, noted Capital (July 5). The standard mandate for the position is three years. (See more about media in Bulgaria here)
Mr. Koshlukov replaces, officially, Konstantin Kamenarov, appointed in 2017. He was forced to resign after a drunk driving arrest and conviction made his position untenable. For nearly two years there has been “an atmosphere of uncertainty.” BNT is, in the view of many, bankrupt and every state agency involved tends to move responsibility upward. Management issues are not secondary to financial problems. “The debts of BNT… cannot be vaporized.” (See more about public broadcasting here)
“There are no more (candidates) left who believe the state will give enough freedom to a respectable and responsible professional to build a strong and independent public television that serves the citizens and is a corrective to the power, not its accomplice,” wrote Capital media editor Vesislava Antonova (July 5). “For many years the competitions (for general director) included mostly people who rarely glow with the light of their own professional experience and are much more reflective of the interests of politico-economic lobbies.”
Mr. Kamenarov replaced Vyara Ankova, who served two consecutive terms before leaving for TV Nova as general director. She replaced Uliana Pramova in 2010, who returned to the BNT news director position after two terms. BNT operates four national channels. Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) operates separately and recently named a new general director.
News anchor Giorgi Gabunia went on the air Sunday night on Georgian TV channel Rustavi-2 and delivered a minute-long speech directed at Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin. He complained, in Russian, about new sanctions, Russian secret police and “other shit,” according to Caucasus Echo (July 8), part of RFE/RL, and BBC Russian (July 8). The language was direct and colorful.
Within hours Russian media reacted and, with that, Georgians assembled before the TV channel’s building in Tbilisi. Some threw eggs. Some tried to get inside the building, threatening to grab Mr. Gabunia, who refused to leave. The TV channel went dark for several hours “for security reasons.”
Georgians, mostly in Tbilisi, loudly protested after Russian MP Sergei Gavrilov spoke before the Georgian parliament in Russian last month. That, it seems, led to curtailing of direct flights between Tbilisi and Moscow, important for getting Georgian produce to its biggest market, not to forget Russian tourists this time of year flocking to Georgia for the exquisite wine and food. Russian troops seized parts of Georgia in 2008 and remain close at hand. Protestors said they did not want another war with Russia.
When the station went back on the air Monday morning (July 8), general director Nika Gvaramia issued an apology for Mr. Gabunia’s rant. This followed stern condemnations from Georgian politicians, all well aware those troops are just minutes away. Mr. Gvaramia added that he feared those politicians may want to rein in the station editorially. Rustavi-2, Georgia’s biggest TV broadcaster, has been considered close to the current Russia-friendly government at times, other times not so much.
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