Bulgaria set for TV market consolidation

The Bulgarian national commercial broadcaster Nova TV has signalled its intention to buy Kanal 3 and a number of other broadcasting assets linked to the MP Delyan Peevski.

Quoting a notice published by the Commission for Protection of Competition (CPC), Capital reports that these assets include the TV channels The Voice TV and Magic TV, as well as the radio stations The Voice Radio, Radio Vaselina, Magic FM and Radio Vitosha.

It adds that the regulator has five weeks to authorise or refuse the transaction.

It may also launch an in-depth investigation, which will prolong the procedure.

Capital notes that although there is little logic to the deal, given that Nova TV has assets that reach similar audiences and is unlikely to gain much in terms of profit, it will nevertheless strengthen the ties between Nova, which is owned by Kiril and Georgi Domuschiev, and media interests indirectly linked to Peevski. Kanal 3 is currently part of the Best Success Investment group. TV Tech News