Ibroscheva, ElzaStover, Maria2020-08-242020-08-242017-09-22https://mediarep.org/handle/doc/15701This study provides a glimpse into the cultural history of the popular medium of television for the period 1944-2016. Seeking a more nuanced and more evolved understanding of the role of the television in Bulgaria during socialist and in post-socialist times, this essay argues for a ‘situated’ reading of these historical developments, theorising that socialist and post-socialist television are indeed defined by disparate, yet equally influential and dynamic, cultural and political processes. From the ‘golden age’ of communist-era television, during which TV was hailed as a main force for mobilisation, education and entertainment, we will trace the ‘boom’ in commercial TV channels at the offset of the transition, with its often-questionable quality, leading to the emergence of several serious contenders on the broadcasting scene, both in terms of their financial value and in terms of their power over public opinion.engCreative Commons Attribution Share Alike 4.0 GenericFernsehenpost-communismSocialismTelevision HistoryTelevisioncommunismBulgaria070791East Meets West: The Cultural History of Television in Bulgaria10.18146/2213-0969.2017.jethc11910.25969/mediarep/147252213-0969