A BLACK polystyrene monument bearing the slogan "Eternal Glory to the National Council for Radio and Television from the grateful society" was erected in front of the Bulgarian National Radio building on Monday.

It was placed there by the Kanaleto television programme in support of the New Time pressure group, set up in protest at the council's choice for director-general of Bulgarian National Radio (BNR).

The protest - which claims successful candidate Ivan Borislavov lacks the experiencee and professionalism for the post - has been going on for a week and a half.

New Time members Emil Koshlukov, Zhoro Tornev, Toncho Tokmakchiev and Kamen Vodenicharov laid flowers in front of the monument. "Thus do we express the love of all society to the National Council for Radio and Television," Kanaleto producer Zhoro Tornev said.

The council (NCRT) has still not concluded a managerial contract with Ivan Borislavov, a week after the appointment was announced. "We have to wait for matters about BNR to clarify because as you know there are protests," NCRT member Alexander Tomov said.

Meanwhile, Boyka Yancheva, the council's lawyer, explained that Mr Borislavov has the right to start his activities as a director from the exact moment of his appointment.

"Our protest is not against the NCRT regulating body, but we want its present members to hand in their resignations because they lied to you as our listeners too," pressure group leader Silvia Velikova said, adding that the journalists were expecting a meeting with President Petar Stoyanov.

On Monday Mr Borislavov nominated Polya Stancheva, Alexander Brazitzov, Georgi Stoyanov, and Velichko Konakchiev as members of the BNR governing board. Georgi Stoyanov is the former head of the radio's international department. Borislavov also proposed that the NCRT appoint Tsonya Subcheva as a director of the Horizont station, Nikolai Pavlov as a director of the Hristo Botev station, and Raina Konstantinova as a director of the Radio Bulgaria station. Dimitar Dimitrov, present head of Horizont, submitted his resignation on Saturday, choosing unemployment over collaboration with Mr Borislavov. "I have no desire to be a member of Ivan Borislavov's team for even a single day," Mr Dimitrov said.

Subcheva was a BNR reporter whose contract term had expired. Poet and writer Nikolai Pavlov has been nominated for directorship of the Hristo Botev station in place of the present acting director Georgi Vassilski.

Mr Borislavov announced the names of the nominees after a three-hour meeting with NCRT and representatives of the protesting pressure group of BNR on Monday.

The protestors demand that Mr Borislavov step down, along with the NCRT members who appointed him. If these demands are not met by February 15, employees plan a strike.