Top Bulgarian Entertainer Denounces TV ‘Censorship’ as Show Cancelled

By Mariya Cheresheva | BIRN Sofia A prominent entertainer and TV host Slavi Trifonov called a press conference on Tuesday, accusing his media partner bTV of censorship.Private broadcaster bTV cancelled Trifonov's TV show on Monday after he publicly gave an ultimatum to Bulgaria’s 44th National Assembly, demanding that the results of a November 2016 referendum be enforced.bTV decided to stop broadcasting the new episode of his popular programme Slavi’s Show, which is usually on between 10.30pm and 11.30pm every weekday, stating that its material stood in "incompliance with the standards for television content.""I cannot qualify this in any other way from what it actually is. And it is censorship," Trifonov said."I am a citizen and I have a position. I have the right to have a position," the TV host added.He linked the cessation of his show, which is among the most popular on bTV, with an open letter to politicians that he published on the same day.In the letter he gave newly-elected MPs two weeks to start implementing changes to Bulgaria’s voting system which were decided on during November’s referendum by 3.5 million Bulgarians.The referendum put three questions to the populace: The first was about introducing mandatory voting, the second was about the introduction of a majority system to elect MPs, and the third suggested slashing subsidies for political parties per vote won.Just 13,000 votes were not enough for the results of the plebiscite, promoted through Slavi’s Show throughout the whole year prior to the vote, to become mandatory.However, Boyko Borissov’s centre-right party Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) promised to follow the people’s will and adopt the proposed changes – although Bulgaria’s Constitutional Court declared mandatory voting unconstitutional.In response to Trifonov’s accusations of censorship, bTV, which is Bulgaria’s largest private broadcaster, said that he had tried to use its broadcast "for a private political campaign.""BTV cannot and will not accept any distortions from its political neutrality," it said.Slavi Trifonov has been among the most well-recognized media figures in Bulgaria since the beginning of the country’s transition to democracy in the 1990s.He has often been critical of those holding power, but has also openly demonstrated friendly relations with some politicians, including Boyko Borissov.In his open letter to Bulgarian politicians, which he also read during the show that was cancelled, Trifonov threatened to stage a protest in front of the Bulgarian National Assembly unless his ultimatum was adhered to by MPs.Asked whether he is moving closer towards politics, the showman answered that "things are heading in that direction".

http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/top-bulgarian-showman-complains-of-censorship-03-28-2017