Maria Tsantsarova, a prominent television journalist, has been taken off air from the political talk show This Morning on bTV, one of Bulgaria’s leading television channels, following weeks of speculation.
Tsantsarova, known for her tough questioning and high-profile investigations, confirmed on Monday in a Facebook post that she had been removed from the programme, contradicting a vague official statement issued by bTV on Friday. Тhe broadcaster denied any allegationsregarding the removal of Tsantsarova and her colleague Yochev, describing them as false. The media company—part of the Czech-owned investment group PPF—said it was in “active talks about the development of programme content for the coming year,” allegedly “with active participation” of the journalist.
However, on Monday This Morning aired with a replacement host and the company published a more detailed statement, where it claimed that Tsantsarova has repeatedly violated a number of editorial policies and principles, but despite this, she has been offered another programme in the prime time of the television.
“The media will not succumb to external pressure and a process has been initiated to terminate relations with it her [Tsantsarova]”, it said.
News of Tsantsarova’s removal triggered a protest on Friday organised by AEJ-Bulgaria and supported by numerous prominent journalists and citizens, who gathered in front of bTV’s headquarters in an act of solidarity. The wave of solidarity continued on Monday with hundreds of publications on social media. One of bTV’s top investigative reporters, Stoyan Georgiev, announced his resignation from the media company and declared his full support for Maria Tsantsarova.
Over the past several years, Tsantsarova has been the target of repeated attacks by political figures. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was also pressured by law enforcement authorities to reveal her sources for a major investigative report.
Her removal comes at a time of unprecedented civil protests that led to the government’s collapse on December 11. Bulgaria has since entered a new phase of political instability and is heading toward early parliamentary elections in the coming months. Taking a leading critical journalist off air amid widespread social unrest has raised serious concerns about possible political interference.
Over the past decade, several prominent critical voices have been removed from their positions at both private and public television broadcasters in Bulgaria.
Opaque media ownership and political influence remain among the most serious challenges facing the country’s media environment. Bulgaria fell to 70th place from 59th in this year’s Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index.
AEJ-Bulgaria’s latest press freedom survey, published in 2024, reported a record increase in political pressure on journalists. A staggering 77 percent of respondents identified political interference as the most widespread source of pressure in Bulgarian media.
(This article appeared first HERE)
