SANS: Bulgarian National Radio did not go off air for technical reasons

The investigation ordered by Bulgaria’s Chief Prosecutor into the stopping of broadcast of Horizont programme of the Bulgarian National Radio for several hours on Friday was completed on September 17.

The findings were sent to Sofia Prosecutor’s Office

The investigation carried out by the State Agency for National Security (SANS) established that no technical maintenance of the Horizont programme studio complex had been conducted, there was no technical problem requiring such maintenance and there were no technical problems preventing signal transmission.

On September 11, the technical director at BNR, Plamen Kostov, informed Director General Svetoslav Kostov that an in-studio maintenance should be carried out, which is scheduled for September 13. The notification did not mention that this necessitates suspension of the broadcasting of the Horizont programme, SANS agents and prosecutors found during the check.

The investigation found, however, that in the morning on September, the National Radio’s technical director sent a letter to radio signal distributor NURTS, by e-mail, asking to suspend broadcasting the following day.

The inspection also found that no technical maintenance of the Horizont programme studio complex had been conducted, there was no technical problem requiring such maintenance and there were no technical problems preventing signal transmission.

At the same time, the Horizont programme was available online on the BNR website.