Representatives of regional media from across the country gathered in Burgas for a national meeting organized by the local branch of the Union of Bulgarian Journalists. Participants discussed media financing, ownership, journalistic standards, and the legislative framework in which the sector operates.

Deputy Minister of Culture Zornitsa Grekova stated that the Ministry of Culture supports discussions regarding the development of the media environment. According to her, media outlets can only fulfill their functions with sustainable, predictable, and transparent funding. She noted that work is underway to establish a Media Support Fund that would have annual funding and clear criteria. The topic will be further discussed once the amendments to the Radio and Television Act are finalized.

Snezhana Todorova, Chair of the UBJ, announced that the organization is preparing a supplementary version of its legislative change proposals. These were originally developed in 2016. The main priorities are the protection of journalistic labor and media freedom, a national industry-wide collective labor agreement, and greater transparency regarding media financing and ownership.

Kadrynka Kadrynova, a member of the Council for Electronic Media, said that regional journalism is among the regulator's priorities. She noted that the sector is one of the most vulnerable due to limited resources, pressure, and the risk of critical reports being suppressed.

Anton Nikolov, Chair of the National Association of Regional Television Stations, stated that some licensed regional TV stations have ceased broadcasting because they can no longer cover their costs. He urged the state to build sustainable support mechanisms for regional journalism that do not make media outlets dependent on central or local government. Nikolov also called for more transparency regarding the ownership of online media.

Grekova further reported that the final meeting of the working group on the amendments to the Radio and Television Act is scheduled for this week. Following this, the proposals will be sent for additional discussion with interested organizations. Changes are also anticipated regarding the format of the declaration for media service providers, the submission of which will be a requirement for applying for funds from the future fund.