After a facebook statement released today on BNT’s official facebook page, BNT has released a special press comunique regarding their participation at next year’s Eurovision Song Contest. BNT has told esctoday.com that they have not yet decided if Bulgaria will compete at the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest in Denmark.
Hence in order to clear the misunderstanding BNT has clarified the issue via an official communique. There will be elections in BNT to select a new director- general. Hence all candidates are currently lobbying and presenting their forthcoming projects and plans if they are elected as the new director general of the broadcaster. Ms Vyara Ankova the incumbent Director General stated during her hearing that she would continue Bulgaria’s participation at the Eurovision Song Contest.
BNT PRESS RELEASE
The Bulgarian Council for Electronic Media (CEM) today held the first hearings of candidates for the next term of office of the Director-General of Bulgarian National Television (BNT). There are six candidates, and two were heard today – the incumbent Director-General, Vyara Ankova, and Valeri Todorov, who for two terms was Director-General of Bulgarian National Radio.
At the hearings, part of a process of the open competition over which CEM is presiding, the candidates presented their respective concepts for the development of the broadcaster in the next three-year term of office. In each case, the Eurovision Song Contest was a significant part of the presentation as each candidate outlined how they see the future of Bulgaria’s participation in the contest. Both said that they wanted to develop the project in new directions.
Incumbent BNT Director-General Vyara Ankova said that she wanted Bulgaria to continue taking part in the competition, the largest music competition of its kind. She said that the public broadcaster was committed to giving Bulgarian performers access to the largest European stage. She dwelt not only on the Eurovision Song Contest, but also on European Broadcasting Union productions. Asked by CEM member Anna Hadzhieva whether the format of choosing the song that would be Bulgaria’s entry would be the same as in 2013, Ankova said that she was working on a new concept for the selection, based on a reality TV format. Ankova said that this would be a good way for the audience to get to know the songs over a longer period of time.
Valeri Todorov said that the future of Bulgaria’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest lay in closer co-operation between BNT and other media. He too emphasised the role of fun and music programmes and said that a public broadcaster should avoid commercial formats.
The process of hearings of candidates to be Director-General of BNT continues on July 23 and 24. Konstantin Kamenarov andRadostlav Glavtchev will be heard on July 23 and Oli Grueva and Krassimir Angelov and July 24. CEM will announce their choice no later than July 26.
