THE MASTERS OF BROADCAST APPEAR UNSCATHED – NO FINE IS IMPOSED BY NOVA TV

Nova TV, which is going through tough times and badly needs to keep its sources of income, is held at bay by the MoB producers.

The media tornado,raging last week around the Masters of Broadcast, destroyed the pimped up rating of the alleged ‘gem’ in the production portfolio of Nova TV. The simulated violence, directed and acted out by the MoB reporter Dimitur Vurbanov, shattered to pieces the painstakingly built image ofthe Halvadjiyan brothers TV blunders format.

The staggering gaffe of the Veliko Turnovo correspondent inflicted a near-deadly blow on the comedy show, which seemed to have forgotten that its original function was to make people laugh at the goofy jokes of Rachkov, Zueka and the constellation ofcomedians around them; instead, it stepped into the territory of real journalism and tried to hold viewers’ interest with allegedly serious investigations and sensational findings of criminal schemes, ploys and fraud.

It was a disaster waiting to happen. To save face, the Masters threw Vurbanov to the wolves. The unfortunate reporter clearly demonstrated just how “genuine” are the ways and means of the so-called ‘journalists’ of this show. Provincial correspondents forever remain just that - posh three-piece suits and hats cannot magically turn them into real investigative journalists.

Elated by their new-found glory and the given primetime slot, the “Masters” actually believed in their omnipotence and started acting as judge and jury.

The ”Masters” of this entire parody of journalism are the two Halvadjiyan brothers, Magurditch and Judy, who hold the local licence for the (originally Italian) format.

After the as-yet-unseen absurdity with the Vurbanov antics on camera, instead of apologizing to the audience and making a U-turn concept-wise to try and get their act together, the producers, with their 2 decades of vast hands-on experience in the TV business, became defensive and even launched attacks at their critics.

“We’ve always held our stance and this won’t change. Under the circumstances, rats reared their heads – the ones, on whose toes we’ve stepped at one point or another. Now they feel supported and confident enough to start explaining how the same thing happened to them. That’s ridiculous! “, indignantly defended himself the younger of the two, Judy Halvadjiyan,in an interview for a popular daily newspaper.

However, the show will hardly manage to wash its hands off the scandal and mend what has been broken by merely firing Dimitur Vurbanov.

The self-professed champions of truth and professional ethics, dignity and honour – the show’s producers and the Nova TV management – should’ve manned up to the situation and come out with a very different, much firmer position. Most importantly, they should have shouldered some of the responsibility for the Vurbanov gaffe.

It goes without saying that a reporter is never left alone at the scene, so he couldn’t possibly create a one-man-production. Dimitur was accompanied by a cameraman who personally

filmed the fake assault. The video was then sent to their colleagues at the MoB office and was carefully viewed by editors, cutters and, of course, by the producers themselves.

In all probability, the big bosses of Nova TV also saw the bombastic “investigation” material pre-broadcast. Yet, their only reaction was the one-size-fits-all PR message where they “dissociate” from the goofed-up show on the excuse that it is an independent production.

That said, we ought to take into account the fact that, apart from the Masters of Broadcast, Nova TV partners with the Halvadjiyans on an array of other projects, as well. The TV company profits handsomely from quite a few productions of the Armenians.

The Bulgarian equivalent of ‘Stars in Their Eyes’, the X-Factor and the “Policemen from Suburbia” sitcom, which is meant to be a highlight of the autumn programme scheme, are just a few of the formats realised by Magurditch Halvadjiyan.

Money speaks louder than facts – it’s crystal clear that the Nova TV bosses will not impose any sanctions on the producers, nor will the latter take offence at the disseminated as a pure formality PR message.

End of story. The reporter is sacked, the gaffe will be swept under the carpet and the viewers will either switch channels, or stay and watch the new dance of the sexy “Adrenaline” girls…

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