Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

BTA celebrates its 125th anniversary

Photo: Facebook/BulgarianNewsAgency

On February 16 (New Style February 28), 1898, the BTA put out its first news bulletin, hand-written in person by the agency’s recently appointed first director, Oskar Iskander, who was a Doctor of philosophy, editor and publisher. The four-page bulletin contained seven dispatches datelined from Vienna, Athens and Constantinople, the BTA informed. The news was about the illness of H.R.H. Princess Clementine, the assassination attempt on King George I of Greece and the ratification of a commercial agreement between Bulgaria and Turkiye. The news bulletin ended with an information about the stock exchange prices of wheat, corn and oats in Vienna, Budapest and Marseilles.

The BTA, which was directly subordinate to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked all the newspaper editorial offices in the Principality of Bulgaria to headline their telegrams  "Telegrams of the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency", which indicated their origin.

Nowadays BTA has 25 national press clubs in Bulgaria and five abroad. Since 2005 it has been organizing World Meeting of Bulgarian Media with the participation of journalists from Bulgaria and Bulgarian communities abroad. From mid-2021, the agency is launching a programme to support science and education in Bulgaria, in partnership with leading universities and schools.
The anniversary of the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency will be celebrated with a concert performed by the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Emil Tabakov. Among the guests are Clive Marshall, CEO of Press Association Group in London, President of the News Agencies World Council, as well as representatives of international news agency organizations of which BTA is a member.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

1800-year-old triangular tower discovered near Sofia

The Urvich Fortress continues to reveal its secrets from the time when Sofia was Roman Serdica. A triangular stone tower dating back to the end of the 2nd century was discovered by young archaeologists Dr. Filip Petrunov and..

published on 7/26/25 6:10 AM
Some of the rock churches are open to tourists

The valley of the monks: The churches in the valley of Rusenski Lom and its tributaries

In Northeastern Bulgaria the river Rusenski Lom and its tributaries – Cherni, Beli and Malki Lom – have carved out a rugged rocky landscape with hidden caves and hushed valleys where the only sound is that of the birdsong. People have settled in..

published on 7/22/25 1:05 PM
Metropolitan Joseph, head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in the USA, Canada, and Australia

Metropolitan Joseph, blessed the new Parish Council of the Holy Trinity Bulgarian Orthodox Church in Madison

His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in the USA, Canada, and Australia, has blessed the newly elected Parish Council of the Holy Trinity Bulgarian Orthodox Church in Madison, Illinois. The new council was elected..

published on 7/21/25 3:11 PM