bTV

bTV is a Bulgarian commercial television channel and the flagship brand of bTV Media Group. It was established as the first private national television channel in Bulgaria, entering service on 1 June 2000 through terrestrial transmission on infrastructure previously used for BNT's Efir 2 service. Its launch marked an important change in the Bulgarian television market, which had previously been dominated by state broadcasting. The channel initially operated with a limited schedule, expanding its daily programming over the following months before moving to a 24-hour schedule on 18 February 2001. At launch, bTV employed approximately 150 people. Its early operation combined locally produced programming with imported material, including American television content. News and public-affairs programming became central to the channel's identity, while entertainment, talk shows, scripted series, reality formats, movies and sports-related programming broadened its appeal. bTV News developed into one of the country's most prominent television news services, supported by scheduled bulletins, the weekday morning programme This Morning, weekend information blocks, interviews and documentary or investigative strands such as bTV The Reporters and bTV The Documents. The channel also became a major platform for Bulgarian adaptations of international entertainment formats. Its programming history includes local versions of Survivor, Music Idol, Dancing with the Stars, Fort Boyard, Bulgaria's Got Talent, The Voice of Bulgaria, MasterChef, The Farm, The Bachelor, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, The Amazing Race and other reality, talent, cooking, quiz and factual formats. Alongside licensed formats, bTV has commissioned original Bulgarian entertainment, talk, comedy, lifestyle and documentary programmes. Slavi's Show, hosted and produced by Slavi Trifonov, was one of its longest-running and most recognizable programmes, airing on weekdays from 2000 until 2019. bTV has also invested in Bulgarian scripted television. Its locally produced or commissioned drama and comedy output has included Her and Him, Glass Home, Seven Hours Difference, House Arrest, The Family, Relations, Revolution Z, Citizens in More and other series. The channel's schedule has additionally included imported American, Turkish, Korean and Indian series, allowing it to combine domestic production with international acquisitions. Ownership changed substantially in 2010. News Corporation's Balkan News Corporation had previously owned the channel. On 18 February 2010, News Corporation announced an agreement to sell a 94% interest in bTV, together with bTV Comedy and bTV Cinema, to Central European Media Enterprises. The transaction, reported at approximately US$400 million, was completed in the second quarter of that year. bTV subsequently operated within the expanding bTV Media Group, whose television portfolio came to include bTV Comedy, bTV Cinema, bTV Action, bTV Story and RING, as well as several radio stations. The channel introduced high-definition broadcasting on 7 October 2012. At the same time, its former standard-definition service adopted a 16:9 presentation format for most programmes. bTV also extended its reach to Bulgarians outside the country. bTV International launched on 2 June 2016 as a service aimed at Bulgarian viewers abroad and was made available through the Voyo.bg video platform; its online transmission continued until the end of 2022. Today, bTV functions as a broad national television brand spanning news, current affairs, entertainment, reality formats, local fiction, acquired series and digital distribution. Its scale, long-running programme franchises and position within bTV Media Group have made it one of the most important commercial media brands in Bulgaria.

bTV emerged during the liberalization and commercialization of Bulgarian television at the turn of the twenty-first century. It was conceived as a private national broadcaster and was scheduled to begin with only two hours of programming on 1 June 2000. The initial staffing level was reported at about 150 employees. Its schedule was planned to expand to six hours in July and eighteen hours in October, reflecting a staged introduction rather than an immediate full-day service. Albert Parsons served as executive director during the launch period, arriving in Bulgaria after work connected with the reorganization of Fox-affiliated stations in the United States. The channel used transmitters previously associated with BNT's Efir 2 service. As bTV expanded its schedule, it established a programming model built around news, entertainment, imported series and locally produced shows. On 18 November 2000, it broadcast its first news edition. News became one of the channel's defining pillars, with regular bulletins and programmes including This Morning, This Saturday, This Sunday, Face to Face, 120 Minutes, bTV The Reporters and bTV The Documents. The combination of high-frequency news coverage and popular entertainment helped bTV become a major competitor in the Bulgarian television market. Entertainment programming developed through both local commissions and Bulgarian adaptations of international formats. Over time, bTV aired versions of Survivor, Music Idol, Fort Boyard, Dancing with the Stars, Bulgaria's Got Talent, The Voice of Bulgaria, MasterChef, The Farm and The Bachelor. It also carried quiz and game formats such as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and The Amazing Race. Slavi's Show became a particularly durable late-evening programme, running from 27 November 2000 to 31 July 2019 and accumulating more than four thousand episodes according to the referenced material. bTV's production activity extended into Bulgarian fiction. Its first Bulgarian television series was the local adaptation Her and Him, followed by projects such as Glass Home, Seven Hours Difference, House Arrest, Where is Magi?, Revolution Z, The Family, Relations and other domestic productions. The channel also acquired foreign programming, including American series and later Turkish, Korean and Indian serials, broadening the range of content available to its audience. For much of its early corporate history, bTV was associated with Balkan News Corporation, a News Corporation company. On 18 February 2010, News Corporation announced an agreement to sell 94% of bTV, together with bTV Comedy and bTV Cinema, to Central European Media Enterprises. The reported value of the transaction was approximately US$400 million, and completion took place in the second quarter of 2010. Following the transaction, bTV became the leading service in the bTV Media Group, which expanded to include additional television channels such as bTV Action, bTV Story and RING, along with bTV Comedy and bTV Cinema. The group also operates radio brands including bTV Radio, N-JOY, Z-Rock, Classic FM and Jazz FM. A technical transition followed in 2012, when bTV launched HD broadcasting on 7 October. Its standard-definition service also moved most programming to a 16:9 format. The group later sought to serve Bulgarian viewers abroad through bTV International, launched on 2 June 2016 and distributed online through Voyo.bg. Its online transmission continued through the end of 2022. bTV remains an active Bulgarian commercial television brand. Its role combines national news and public-affairs coverage, local entertainment franchises, Bulgarian fiction, international acquisitions and digital availability. The channel's history reflects the development of Bulgaria's private television sector and the consolidation of broadcast assets into regional media groups.

• 2016

  bTV International launches

  [1]BTV (Bulgaria)en.wikipedia.org

  The international service launches for Bulgarian viewers abroad through the bTV family and Voyo.bg.

• 2012

  HD broadcasting begins

  [1]BTV (Bulgaria)en.wikipedia.org

  bTV starts HD transmission and adopts 16:9 presentation for most programming on its SD service.

• 2010

  CME acquisition announced and completed

  [1]BTV (Bulgaria)en.wikipedia.org

  Central European Media Enterprises acquires a 94% interest in bTV and related channels from News Corporation; completion occurs in the second quarter.

• 2001

  24-hour schedule begins

  [1]BTV (Bulgaria)en.wikipedia.org

  bTV starts round-the-clock broadcasting on 18 February.

• 2000

  bTV launches

  [1]BTV (Bulgaria)en.wikipedia.org

  bTV begins broadcasting on 1 June as Bulgaria's first private national television channel.

• 2000

  First bTV News broadcast

  [1]BTV (Bulgaria)en.wikipedia.org

  The channel's first news edition is broadcast on 18 November.

A mass-market Bulgarian national television channel combining high-reach news and public-affairs programming with locally produced entertainment, reality formats, scripted series and international acquisitions.

• National television channel · 2000

  bTV

  The flagship Bulgarian commercial television channel, offering national news, current affairs, entertainment, reality formats, local scripted programming, acquired series and films. It broadcasts terrestrially in Bulgaria and distributes much of its original content through its website and related digital services.

• Television news service · 2000

  bTV News

  bTV's news operation, consisting of scheduled news bulletins, morning information programming, interviews, current-affairs shows and investigative or documentary strands. It is presented in the reference material as one of Bulgaria's most watched television news services.

• International television and digital service · 2016

  bTV International

  A service created for Bulgarian audiences abroad. It launched in 2016 and was distributed through Voyo.bg, carrying selected bTV news, current-affairs, entertainment and Bulgarian scripted content. Its online transmission continued until the end of 2022.

• Television production

  Bulgarian scripted programming

  bTV has commissioned or broadcast a substantial body of Bulgarian fiction, including Her and Him, Glass Home, Seven Hours Difference, House Arrest, Revolution Z, The Family, Relations and other series. These productions complement the channel's imported series and format adaptations.

• Television entertainment · 2005

  International entertainment formats

  The channel's format portfolio has included Bulgarian versions of Survivor, The Voice, Got Talent, MasterChef, The Farm, The Bachelor, Dancing with the Stars, Fort Boyard, The Amazing Race and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, among others.

• 2016

  Launch of bTV InternationalProduct launch

  Background

  bTV sought to extend access to Bulgarian programming for viewers living outside Bulgaria.

  Action taken

  The group launched bTV International on 2 June 2016 and made it available through Voyo.bg.

  Aftermath

  The service carried selected bTV news, current-affairs, entertainment and Bulgarian scripted programmes until its online transmission ended at the end of 2022.

  Source

• 2012

  Transition to HD and widescreen presentationGeneration change

  Background

  Television distribution standards were moving toward high-definition and widescreen presentation.

  Action taken

  bTV began broadcasting in HD on 7 October 2012, while the former SD channel adopted 16:9 presentation for most programmes.

  Aftermath

  The change modernized the channel's technical presentation across its main television services.

  Source

• 2010

  Sale of bTV to Central European Media EnterprisesM&A

  Background

  bTV was previously associated with Balkan News Corporation, part of News Corporation. News Corporation announced the sale after months of negotiations.

  Action taken

  News Corporation agreed to sell a 94% interest in bTV, together with bTV Comedy and bTV Cinema, to Central European Media Enterprises.

  Aftermath

  The transaction was completed in the second quarter of 2010, placing bTV within the CME-linked bTV Media Group.

  Reported transaction value. US$400 million (2010 transaction)

  Source

1. 1BTV (Bulgaria)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2bTV official websitebtv.bg