(1) Radio and television activities shall be carried on by radio and television broadcasters.

(2) Radio and television broadcasters shall be natural persons - sole entrepreneurs and and legal persons holding licenses for radio and television activities.

Radio and television broadcasters shall be public and commercial.

(1) Public radio and television broadcasters shall be natural persons - sole entrepreneurs and and legal persons holding licenses for radio and television activities whose main object is to contribute to the realisation of the right of information proclaimed by the Constitution.

(2) Public radio and television broadcasters shall be subject to either public or private law.

(3) Public radio and television broadcasters shall:

1. provide for broadcasting political, economic, cultural, scientific. educational and any other information relevant for the society;

2. ensure access to the national and world cultural values and popularise the scientific and technical achievements through the broadcasting of Bulgarian and foreign educational and cultural programmes for people of all ages;

3. ensure, through their broadcasting policy, the protection of the national interests, the universal cultural values, of national science, of education and of the culture of all Bulgarian nationals regardless of their ethnic origin;

4. promote the creation of works by Bulgarian authors;

5. promote the Bulgarian art of performance.

The Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) and the Bulgarian National Television (BNT) shall be a national public radio broadcaster and a national public television broadcaster, respectively, which shall:

1. ensure programmes for all nationals of the Republic of Bulgaria;

2. assist the development and popularisation of Bulgarian culture and of the Bulgarian language, as well as of the culture and language of the citizens in accordance with their ethnic belonging;

3. ensure through their programmes access to the national and European cultural heritage;

4. include in their programmes broadcasts which inform, educate or entertain;

5. apply the new information technologies;

6. reflect the different ideas and convictions in the society;

7. contribute to mutual understanding and tolerance in the relations among people;

8. provide citizens with an opportunity to get acquainted with the official position of the State on important issues relating to social life.

While carrying on their activities, radio and television broadcasters shall be guided by the following principles:

1. guaranteeing the right to freedom of expression;

2. guaranteeing the right to information;

3. preservation of the secret of the source of information;

4. protection of citizens' personal inviolability;

5. non-admission of broadcasts inciting to intolerance among citizens;

6. non-admission of broadcasts contradicting the good morals, especially if they contain pornography, vaunting or abating cruelty or violence or instigate hatred on the basis of race, sex, religion or nationality;

7. guaranteeing the right of reply;

8. guaranteeing copyright and related rights in the broadcasts and programmes;

9. preservation of the purity of the Bulgarian language;

(1) The programmes of the radio and television broadcasters shall be broadcast in the official language, in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria.

(2) The programmes of radio and television broadcasters may be transmitted in another language where:

1. they are transmitted for educational purposes;

2. they are intended for Bulgarian nationals whose mother language is not Bulgarian;

3. they are intended for listeners and viewers from abroad;

4. foreign radio and television programmes are re-transmitted;

(1) Radio and television broadcasters shall be liable for the content of the programmes they provide for broadcasting.

(2) Radio and television broadcasters must not allow the production or provision for transmission of broadcasts in contravention of the principles laid down in Art.10 and of broadcasts inciting to national, political, ethnic, religious and racial intolerance, praising or excusing, cruelty or violence, or aimed at prejudicing the physical, mental and moral development of children and minors.

(1) The Bulgarian National Radio and the Bulgarian National Television shall produce national and regional programmes; programmes intended for abroad, including for Bulgarians abroad; programmes intended for Bulgarian nationals whose mother language is not Bulgarian, including in their own language.

(1) It shall not be allowed to broadcast advertisements containing pornography or inciting to violence and disrespect for human dignity, as well as to behaviour which violates the public order and the generally accepted moral norms. It shall not be allowed to broadcast advertisements of erotic content with the participation of minors or intended for minors.

(2) It shall not be allowed to broadcast advertisements based on national, ethnic, religious, racial, sex or other discrimination.

The law was passed by the XXXVIIIth National Assembly on 23 September 1998 and on 13 November 1998, and the State Seal has been affixed hereto.

Chairman of the National Assembly:

Yordan Sokolov

Source: Bulgarian Legal Information,
http://www.bild.net/bglegal.htm