Skat television (Bulgaria)
Encyclopedia
Skat Television is a Bulgarian national cable television
company. The company was founded in 1992 in Burgas
and is headquartered there. Skat is also the name for one of the channels which Skat television operates from the Bulgarian capital city Sofia
.
Skat as a cable TV company operates mostly in the Burgas Province
and has created cable networks in many populated places near the Black Sea
coast. The company, like the other cable TV operators in Burgas, provides analogue television, digital television, Internet
access and telephone
services. Skat's headquarters are located in Burgas
, and a regional TV channel called "Skat +" is broadcast from there to many places in the province. The main Skat channel was also broadcast from Burgas, until the early 2000s, when it was relocated to Sofia
.
In 2005 Skat television has become a center of controversy caused by the company's hosting of programs and shows supporting Bulgarian nationalist political party National Union Attack
. National Union Attack openly associates with such organizations as the National Front
in France. Complaints from the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee
and the political party Euroroma
, stating that various Skat TV shows were focused on racial intolerance and racism
, caused the Council for Electronic Media (CEM) to announce investigations into the programs broadcast
on the Skat cable television channel in July - August 2005.
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
company. The company was founded in 1992 in Burgas
Burgas
-History:During the rule of the Ancient Romans, near Burgas, Debeltum was established as a military colony for veterans by Vespasian. In the Middle Ages, a small fortress called Pyrgos was erected where Burgas is today and was most probably used as a watchtower...
and is headquartered there. Skat is also the name for one of the channels which Skat television operates from the Bulgarian capital city Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
.
Skat as a cable TV company operates mostly in the Burgas Province
Burgas Province
-Municipalities:The Burgas province contains 13 municipalities . The following table shows the names of each municipality in English and Cyrillic, the main town or village , and the population of each as of 2009.-Demography:The Burgas province had a population of 423,608 -Municipalities:The Burgas...
and has created cable networks in many populated places near the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
coast. The company, like the other cable TV operators in Burgas, provides analogue television, digital television, Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
access and telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
services. Skat's headquarters are located in Burgas
Burgas
-History:During the rule of the Ancient Romans, near Burgas, Debeltum was established as a military colony for veterans by Vespasian. In the Middle Ages, a small fortress called Pyrgos was erected where Burgas is today and was most probably used as a watchtower...
, and a regional TV channel called "Skat +" is broadcast from there to many places in the province. The main Skat channel was also broadcast from Burgas, until the early 2000s, when it was relocated to Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
.
In 2005 Skat television has become a center of controversy caused by the company's hosting of programs and shows supporting Bulgarian nationalist political party National Union Attack
National Union Attack
The National Union Attack is a nationalist political party in Bulgaria. At the last legislative elections, 5 July 2009, it won 9.4% of the popular vote and 21 out of 240 seats...
. National Union Attack openly associates with such organizations as the National Front
Front National (France)
The National Front is a political party in France. The party was founded in 1972, seeking to unify a variety of French far-right currents of the time. Jean-Marie Le Pen was the party's first leader and the undisputed centre of the party from its start until his resignation in 2011...
in France. Complaints from the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee
Helsinki Committee for Human Rights
The Helsinki Committees for Human Rights exist in many European countries as volunteer, non-profit organizations devoted to human rights and presumably named after the Helsinki Accords...
and the political party Euroroma
Euroroma
Euroroma is the biggest political party engaged with the problems of the Roma in Bulgaria.Established on 12 December 1998, Euroroma is not strictly an ethnic party, as it is open to everybody who shares its ideas and goals. In accordance with the stability pact, over 30% of the leadership of the...
, stating that various Skat TV shows were focused on racial intolerance and racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, caused the Council for Electronic Media (CEM) to announce investigations into the programs broadcast
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
on the Skat cable television channel in July - August 2005.
External links
- Skat company website
- Skat TV channel website
- The Bulgarian media landscape, a European Journalism CentreEuropean Journalism CentreThe European Journalism Centre is an independent, non-profit institute based in Maastricht, The Netherlands. Its director is Wilfried Ruetten , who was previously the head of digital television at the University of Applied Sciences in Salzburg, Austria....
report. - Council for Electronic Media to monitor Skat TV shows