Modern music is now on Bulgarian radio again. For two months, listeners could only listen to classical music or folk songs that were over 70 years old. A copyright dispute meant the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) could not play pop music. Listeners could only listen to music that was recorded before World War II. In the European Union, copyright disappears 70 years after an artist's death. BNR signed a deal with the copyright organization and will pay more royalty fees. these fees goes to the singer, composer or songwriter of a song or a piece of music every time the radio plays their song.
During the two-month dispute, the number of listeners to BNR's shows increased by 20 per cent. It seems many listeners are more interested in listening to older music like Bulgarian folk tunes, classical music and pre-war jazz than Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift. BNR is now thinking about changing the music it plays on its shows. The boss of BNR, Aleksandar Velev, said there could be new radio stations. Mr Velev told reporters: "We will not change the profiles of the current radio shows. Instead, we will launch new radio stations with more types of music."