The Bulgarian Media after 1989

Abstract

This article offers an overview of the most important developments in the Bulgarian media sphere after the changes of 1989. It fills a conceptual gap by analyzing the place of Bulgarian media in the context of the relationship between democracy and capitalism. The transition from socialist to private and market-oriented media, Bulgaria’s opening up to foreign media companies, the expansion of media into the internet environment, and the role of media regulation are identified as the key – and ambivalent – factors of change in the media sphere. The article argues that the tension between media democracy and media capitalism unfolded in the form of a permanent crisis in the media field. The analysis leads to the conclusion that indeterminacy and hybridity are key characteristics of the Bulgarian media system.