Media of Bulgaria

The media of Bulgaria refers to mass media outlets based in Bulgaria. Television, magazines, and newspapers are all operated by both state-owned and for-profit corporations which depend on advertising, subscription, and other sales-related revenues. The Constitution of Bulgaria guarantees freedom of speech. As a country in transition, Bulgaria's media system is under transformation.

Bulgaria's media are generally deemed unbiased, although the state still dominates the field through the Bulgarian National Television (BNT), the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR), and the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency. Bulgarian media have a record of unbiased reporting, although they are deemed potentially at risk of political influence due to the lack of legislation to protect them.[1] The written media have no legal restrictions and newspaper publishing is entirely liberal.[2] The extensive freedom of the press means that no exact number of publications can be established, although some research put an estimate of around 900 print media outlets for 2006.[2] The largest-circulation daily newspapers include Dneven Trud and 24 Chasa.[2]

Non-printed media sources, such as television and radio, are overseen by the Council for Electronic Media (CEM), an independent body with the authority to issue broadcasting licenses. Apart from a state-operated national television channel, radio station and the Bulgarian News Agency, a large number of private television and radio stations exist. However, most Bulgarian media experience a number of negative trends, such as general degradation of media products, self-censorship and economic or political pressure.[3] Slavi's Show and Gospodari Na Efira are among the most popular TV programs, both having more than 1,000,000 views per show.[4]

Internet media are growing in popularity due to the wide range of available opinions and viewpoints, lack of censorship and diverse content.[3]


Legislative framework

The main legislative base is the 1998 Radio and Television Act, amended several times since. Many issues still persist in the field[5] The EU 2007 Audiovisual Media Services Directive was transposed in Bulgarian law in 2010, including the requirements for cultural diversity.[6]

Defamation in Bulgaria is decriminalised but punishable with large fines. Government officials have filed suits against journalists in the past, though courts tend to favour the latter and preserve press freedom.[7] Legislation on access to information is fairly robust, although institutions may still improperly deny access and courts may act inconsistently on the issue. Media concentration is an issue and ownership transparency is lacking. A law was adopted in 2014 to restrict media ownership from offshore tax haven-based companies.[7]

Status and self-regulation of journalists

Journalists in Bulgaria work on decreasing salaries and face job insecurity, making work conditions more and more conducive to self-censorship and unethical practices.[7]

Violation of ethical and professional standards is often reported, particularly in the print press. Codes of Conduct for journalists have been drafted by several media and professional organizations after 1989, including the Union of Bulgarian Journalists, the Free Speech Forum and the Centre for Independent Journalism. In 2004 an Ethical Code of Bulgarian Media was drafted with support from EU experts, though it was rejected by part of the Bulgarian journalist scene. [8]

The Ethics Committee for the Print Media and the Ethics Committee for the Electronic Media were established in late 2005 after long debate, institutionalising mechanisms of self-regulation in the Bulgarian media sector.[8]

The New Bulgarian Media Group (NBMG), owned by Irina Krasteva and controlled by her son and MP Delyan Peevski has a long history of cross-partisan pro-governmental bias. In June 2014, a spat between Peevski and a bank owner spurred negative report on NBMG media that caused a bank run and forced the financial institute to temporarily close down.[7]

The 2014 European elections and parliamentary elections were closely followed by the media, but a large portion of the coverage consisted in unlabelled paid partisan content. Right-wing-affiliated print and broadcast media often carry hate speech against minorities and migrants.[7]

Media outlets

The Bulgarian media panorama is pluralistic, although media outlets remain influenced by the political and economic interests of their owners and main advertisers. The shrinking advertising market has made the media more and more dependent on state advertising and other subsidies, in particular for small local media outlets.[7]

Print media

Freedom of expression and free competition in the media market were introduced in Bulgaria after 1989. Newspaper publishing is not regulated by law, and no audit office or official record of the number of publications exist. Over 900 print media titles were estimated in 2007, but their number is today greatly reduced after the effects of the economic crisis. The nationally distributed dailies were 14 in 2009; circulation per capita is very low. [9] Peevski's New Bulgarian Media Group (NBMG) and the competitor Media Group Bulgaria Holding own most of the private newspapers.[7]

The dominant form on the market is that of "hybrid tabloids", combining both quality press and tabloid features, including scandalous reporting, such as the dailies Trud and 24 Chasa, published by the German WAZ-Mediengruppe). The convergence is due to the failure in establishing quality broadsheets newspapers, leading instead popular dailies to extend their reach and occupy their niche. Other widely distributed newspapers include Standart, Novinar, Express, Monitor, and Telegraph - the latter being the only one to increase its circulation during the crisis, due to a lower price. Dnevnik is deemed the most trustworthy on business and economy, but has a low circulation, together with Pari, edited by the Swedish Bonnier Group. Political newspapers include Douma, of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, and Ataka (lit. "Attack"), of the homonymous nationalist party.[9]

To complement revenues from sales and advertisement, which most often do not arrive at coverning production costs, Bulgarian newspapers rely on contributions from business circles and political parties, hence opening up to avenues for political and commercial influences.[9]

The regional print press include 10 dailies in the main towns of the country, as well as local publications coming out from once to three times per week.[9]

Weeklies include the business-oriented Kapital and Banker, and the popular 168 Chassa and Politika, together with the specialised Kultura. Yellow weeklies (Show, Weekend, Galeria) have recently entered the market. Magazines included around 100 titled in late 2009, including Tema, Praven Svyat, and [9]

The Bulgarian print press market was totally dominated by the German WAZ group from 1996 onwards, both at national and local level. In December 2010 WAZ Mediagroup sold all its assets in Bulgaria to a joint venture between Austrian investors and local tycoons. Until then the company had owned the two largest daily newspapers Trud and 24 hours, the weekly newspaper 168 hours, and a large portfolio of magazines.

The New Bulgarian Media Group, deemed close to the Turkish-minority Movement for Rights and Freedoms party emerged in 2007 and got own Monitor, Express, Telegraph (dailies), Politika, Weekend, Meridian Match (weeklies), the Borba newspaper and a publishing house (in the city of Veliko Turnovo).


Radio broadcasting

From 1935 to 1989 there was a state monopoly on radio broadcasts in Bulgaria. After liberalization, the market now features a high number of private, national and local radio stations.[10]

The sector is mainly controlled by four foreign groups: the Irish Communicorp Group, SBS Broadcasting Group (since 2007 part of ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG), US Emmis Communications, and News Corporation Group (owned by Rupert Murdoch). A Bulgarian owner, Focus, joined them in late 2009. They overall control over 20 radio stations.[10]

The two national-coverage radio stations are the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR), with two channels (Horizont and Hristo Botev), and the private Darik radio. BNP's Radio Bulgaria broadcasts abroad, as well as in 7 regional centres in the country.[10]

Television broadcasting

Television in Bulgaria was introduced in 1959. Although the Bulgarian media market is small, it is one of the most vibrant and highly competitive in Central and Eastern Europe. Global players such as News Corporation, Modern Times Group, Central European Media Enterprises and Fox Broadcasting Company and others operate the biggest and most popular media outlets in the country.

Two of the leading TV stations, bTV and Nova TV, are foreign-owned. The third is the national public service broadcaster, Bulgarian National Television; BNT is deemed nonpartisan, but remains vulnerable to political interference from the government.[7]

Privately owned television channels started to appear immediately after the regime change. Most were associated with a cable television (CATV) network run by the same parent company. Around 1994-1995 private over-the-air broadcasters also appeared, but they usually only operated within a single area. Nova Television and 7 Dni TV (7 дни, meaning 7 days) were two of the first such channels, available only in Sofia. After bTV took over Efir 2's frequencies, another competition selected Nova Television, already popular in cable networks around the country, as the second privately owned national channel in Bulgaria. The authorities currently refuse to license further analogue terrestrial channels (including local ones), until DVB-T broadcasting is started.

Switch off to Digital terrestrial television (DVB-T) was completed on 30 September 2013, after a 7-months simulcast period, with 96,2% of the population under DVB-T broadcasting coverage.[11]

Cinema

Public funds for the Bulgarian cinema have dried up after the socialist period. Bulgaria has produced three films and two documentaries per year with state subsidies, afforded under tender procedures. Sponsorships also support the Bulgarian film production.[12]

Telecommunications

The Bulgarian telecommunication market, now privatised, is shared mainly among three actors: Mtel (owned by Mobicom Austria Group), Globul (owned by Greek OTE), and Vivacom (owned by American International Group Inc. with participation of the Bulgarian state). MTel and Globul dominate the mobile market, while Vivacom retains dominance on the 2.3 million landlines.[13] Mobile phones in 2007 amounted to 9.87 million lines, with 110% penetration rate.

The telephony system features an extensive but antiquated telecommunications network inherited from the Soviet era; quality has improved; the Bulgaria Telecommunications Company's fixed-line monopoly terminated in 2005 when alternative fixed-line operators were given access to its network; a drop in fixed-line connections in recent years has been more than offset by a sharp increase in mobile-cellular telephone use fostered by multiple service providers; the number of cellular telephone subscriptions now exceeds the population.

Internet

Main article: Internet in Bulgaria

Internet access reached 55% of the population in 2014. Online media are more and more used as means of information, and social media have often used as a mobilisation tool.[7]

Media Organisations

Media agencies

The public media agency in Bulgaria is the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), established in 1898 and regulated by a 1994 Statute. it serves all media in the country. Private web-based news agencies include Focus (now also a player on the radio market). [21]

Trade unions

The Union of Publishers in Bulgaria (UPB) represents many owners of newspapers, magazines and books, though not all of them. [22]

The Association of the Bulgarian Broadcasters (ABBRO) represents the interests of the radio and television industry, and includes 60 companies representing 160 licensed radio and TV stations (2007 data).[22]

The Union of Bulgarian Journalists, stemming from its socialist roots, did not manage to establish itself as a professional organisation to protect journalists' interests.[22]

NGOs in the media sector, dealing with media freedom and professionalisation of journalism, include Access to Information Program, Media Development Centre, Centre for Independent Journalism.[22]

Regulatory authorities

In lack of any specific law on the printed media, there is not any specific regulatory or supervisory body either.

The Council for Electronic Media (CEM), established by the 1998 Radio and Television Act, checks compliance with regulations about advertising, sponsorship, copyright, protection of youth and minors, and considers violation complaints brought by experts and citizens. Five of its members are elected by Parliament, four are named by the President. Its independence from political and corporate pressures remains a matter of debate, and several of its actions have been controversial.[23] The CEM is deemed as subject to multiple political and economic pressures.[7]

Censorship and media freedom

Bulgaria scores as "partly free" in Freedom House's 2015 report, with a total score of 38.[7] In Reporters Without Borders' World Press Freedom Index, Bulgaria is ranked 106th, with a score of 32.91; in the region, Bulgaria comes after Greece (91th) and right before Montenegro (114th) and Macedonia (117th). Its score is on a steady downward path since the early 2000s (it was 34th on 158 in 2003).[24]

Pressures and intimidations on journalists are widespread, giving rise to self-censorship. Police also sometime questions media professionals about their activities. High-level politicians often display intolerance towards media criticism. Impunity for crimes against journalists remains the norm.[7] A June 2013 survey of 150 Bulgarian journalists by the Bulgarian affiliate of the Association of European Journalists remarked that 80% of them reported the existence of undue pressures and 60% said that internal pressures had distorted editorial contents.[25]

References

  1. ↑ Library of Congress – Federal Research Division (October 2006). "Country Profile: Bulgaria" (PDF). Library of Congress. pp. 18, 23. Retrieved 4 September 2009. Mass Media: In 2006 Bulgaria’s print and broadcast media generally were considered unbiased, although the government dominated broadcasting through the state-owned Bulgarian National Television (BNT) and Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) and print news dissemination through the largest press agency, the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency. [...]Human Rights: In the early 2000s, Bulgaria generally has been rated highly on the issue of human rights. However, some exceptions exist. Although the media have a record of unbiased reporting, Bulgaria’s lack of specific legislation protecting the media from state interference is a theoretical weakness.
  2. 1 2 3 Media Landscape – Bulgaria, European Journalism Centre
  3. 1 2 Footprint of Financial Crisis in the Media, Bulgaria Country Report, Open Society Institute, December 2009
  4. ↑ 20-те най-гледани предавания са по bTV, без изключение!, slusham.com, January 2010
  5. ↑ e.g. "lack of sufficient guarantees for the independence of the regulatory body, insufficient expert knowledge and professionalism of the regulatory body, lack of transparency of the licensing procedures, lack of transparency of the ownership, issues related to the ways of funding and spending the sums which the Bulgarian National Television and the Bulgarian National Radio receive from the state budget, etc." Vesela Tabakova, Bulgaria #Media Legislation, EJC Media Landscapes, circa 2010
  6. ↑ Vesela Tabakova, Bulgaria #Media Legislation, EJC Media Landscapes, circa 2010
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Freedom House, Bulgaria 2015 report
  8. 1 2 Vesela Tabakova, Bulgaria #Accountability systems, EJC Media Landscapes, circa 2010
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Vesela Tabakova, Bulgaria #Print Media, EJC Media Landscapes, circa 2010
  10. 1 2 3 Vesela Tabakova, Bulgaria #Radio, EJC Media Landscapes, circa 2010
  11. ↑ http://dnes.dir.bg/news/televizia-tzifrovizatzia-izbori2013-tzifrov-signal-15122672?nt=4
  12. ↑ Vesela Tabakova, Bulgaria #Cinema, EJC Media Landscapes, circa 2010
  13. ↑ Vesela Tabakova, Bulgaria #Telecommunications, EJC Media Landscapes, circa 2010
  14. 1 2 3 "Communications: Bulgaria", World Factbook, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, 28 January 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  15. 1 2 Calculated using penetration rate and population data from "Countries and Areas Ranked by Population: 2012", Population data, International Programs, U.S. Census Bureau, retrieved 26 June 2013
  16. ↑ "Percentage of Individuals using the Internet 2000-2012", International Telecommunications Union (Geneva), June 2013, retrieved 22 June 2013
  17. ↑ "Fixed (wired)-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 2012", Dynamic Report, ITU ITC EYE, International Telecommunication Union. Retrieved on 29 June 2013.
  18. ↑ "Active mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 2012", Dynamic Report, ITU ITC EYE, International Telecommunication Union. Retrieved on 29 June 2013.
  19. ↑ Select Formats, Country IP Blocks. Accessed on 2 April 2012. Note: Site is said to be updated daily.
  20. ↑ Population, The World Factbook, United States Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on 2 April 2012. Note: Data are mostly for 1 July 2012.
  21. ↑ Vesela Tabakova, Bulgaria #News agencies, EJC Media Landscapes, circa 2010
  22. 1 2 3 4 Vesela Tabakova, Bulgaria #Trade unions, EJC Media Landscapes, circa 2010
  23. ↑ Vesela Tabakova, Bulgaria #Regulatory authority, EJC Media Landscapes, circa 2010
  24. ↑ Reporters Without Borders, World Press Freedom Index 2015, Bulgaria
  25. 1 2 3 Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, The Protection of media freedom in Europe.Background report prepared by Mr William Horsley, special representative for media freedom of the Association of European Journalists
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