Biliana Gavazova and Zlatimir Yochev do not suffer from a lack of popularity. There is no other way, since they are hosts of one of the most watched and discussed TV shows – the morning block, in one of the highest rated televisions – BTV.
This week, however, they were talked about more than usual, after the caretaker Interior Minister Boyko Rashkov visited their studio, and a day later he almost “fired” them. Apparently dissatisfied with their questions, he explained in a conditional mood – again on national air, but on BNR, that he would remove them immediately if he were the owner of the television. His remark echoed like thunder in the media, which is always particularly sensitive to who frames them. BTV quickly defended its presenters, and social networks quickly filled with comments. As befits them, there is usually no middle ground – everything is black and white. Thus, one part of the Facebook activists sympathized with Rashkov and spat on the questions of the presenters, the other part, of course, was of the opposite opinion – journalists should ask, and the minister why he goes for an interview when he does not want to answer all questions.
Emotions in this case do not matter, because the facts are quite eloquent –
Gavazova and Yochev this
work – ask
questions of
your interlocutors
Yes, they have headphones in their ears, but that’s perfectly normal. As in any media and television, there are editors, even in live broadcasts, and they are responsible for the content. They make sure that it is reliable, that there are no factual errors, and that they help the presenters with additional information when necessary.
Guests, of course, may have their own biases over who they like or dislike, but it’s not their job to determine which journalist to lead. Even more so when it comes to a minister. His duties are quite different, and the benefit of each of his interviews is that he makes his work public and transparent.
Gavazova and Yochev have a lot of television experience. She has been on the screen for 11 years, and he – over 15. They became a TV couple relatively recently. Since March 1 this year, they have been leading “This Morning” together, after the incumbent Anton Hekimyan was elected head of news, current affairs and sports by the new owners of BTV – the Czech company PPF Group.
The screen shows that they are still adjusting, sometimes interrupting unnecessarily or talking at the same time, but they are unanimous about the ministerial attack – they are not afraid.
In no time
we did not feel
threatened
Every journalist at BTV has the freedom to ask questions that need to be answered and to seek the truth, Bilyana Gavazova said after the interview with Rashkov. Zlatimir Yochev added: “We are grateful to our colleagues from the newsroom, bTV Media Group, as well as to all members of the guild who did not remain indifferent to the case and expressed their support.”
It was Gavazova who was targeted on social networks due to the fact that she repeatedly repeated her questions to Rashkov.
“There are no difficult questions, there are important questions and limited airtime, in which we should try to ask the most important ones on the topic. “On the air, scripts are unthinkable and have no value in reaching the truth that excites people,” she said.
“The questions follow the logic of the conversation and cover the most important topics that deserve to be addressed. We both strive to get the best, relevant and useful for BTV viewers, “explains her colleague.
They have been hosts of the morning block since March, and met officially a month before. “I even remember the day – there was a natural excitement about whether we could easily work in a team. The normal emotions that each new beginning brings. And in this case the responsibility is huge, because it is about the audience of the television with the highest trust in our country “, says Gavazova. “With the exception of a few journalistic events we came across, our first real acquaintance was this spring – the moment I joined the BTV family and the This Morning team,” Yochev added.
They both don’t have an infinitely long time for rehearsals. “But Zlati is adapting very quickly. I was amazed at how easily he took on each line and how calmly and confidently he behaved in the studio of This Morning. We quickly found a common path, and the operation is currently going through a new friendship. We are still adjusting, but I think that we complement each other well and our common energy is going in one direction – first of all, to be positive and, of course, prepared for each broadcast “, says Biliana.
Her love for journalism is long overdue. She is finishing her history in her native Shumen, and just when she is graduating, the editorial office of Radio Darik in the city is looking for new people. She decided to take part in the job competition and was chosen by all the candidates.
In the beginning Biliana
is an intern, then
becomes a reporter
hosts shows, news, while with a lot of work rises to the position of editor-in-chief of the team that covers the region – Shumen, Razgrad and Targovishte.
Gavazova herself says that she learns journalism on the radio, the quick reaction, the fact that one has to be measured in the words he uses in order to be understood by everyone. But Biliana wants to develop – so she asks her colleagues if she has the opportunity to move to the Darik editorial office in Sofia. They do not stop her, but support her in her decision.
Gavazova covers business news, sometimes leading the morning block. Seven years after she first started working in journalism, she wants an even bigger change – to try another type of media. Thus, in 2010 he entered PRO.BG TV, where there were vacancies for reporters at that time. In her first days there, Biliana hit TV shows – she made reports, there were live broadcasts in the central news programs. A few months later, the BTV media group was bought by the Central European Media Enterprises (SME) corporation, which also owns PRO.BG. Thus, Biliana Gavazova received an offer to become a reporter at BTV – she did not think for a moment whether to accept.
In May 2014, a new stage in her career came – she became the host of the morning block of BTV together with Anton Hekimyan. The two take over from Konstantin Karadzhov and Genka Shikerova, who is on maternity leave.
Before appearing on This Morning, Gavazova and Hekimyan rehearsed together how to ask questions to politicians in the studio. The camera captures them as if the show were live, and the answers are given by their colleagues from the newsroom. Then everyone – the bosses, and Anton and Biliana themselves, look at the training recordings to see what they look like and where it is best for the two presenters to stand.
Shortly afterwards, Hekimyan and Gavazova are already on screen, having achieved good synchrony. But unexpected good news separates them temporarily. In mid-December 2014, Biliana announced that she was pregnant with her first child, and a few months later, in March 2015, she left the screen. On May 27, 2015, the journalist gave birth to a boy, but did not stay far from television for long.
A year later he returned to BTV and began his own column “Read the label”, which is still in the morning block.
From the beginning of 2017, she became the host of the morning and lunch news programs on television together with Denislav Borisov.
Now Biliana is on the screen every weekday morning in the company of Zlatimir Yochev. Many may think that shortly after saying goodbye to the audience, he returns home to rest. The truth is that
the air is only
the visible part
from her work
“Preparations for a live broadcast like the morning block do not stop – it is 24 hours a day, because the events happen at any time. Our reaction must be immediate. Here, of course, I must emphasize the huge contribution of the whole team of producers and reporters who are behind the preparation of each material, the on-duty producer who helps us with the hardware during each live broadcast, “she said.
And at home she is waiting for the “cutest boy in the world” – her son Alec, who in a few days turns 6 years old. If there is anything in the world that makes her fly, it is him. Since becoming a mother, Biliana has learned her greatest lessons in life. “Children learn a lot, and in the wisest way, without waving a finger. They learn with love and eyes. ”
The boy likes to watch TV, but not to see his mother there, but because of the children’s movies. After all, Alec loves to enjoy her live. “It’s weird, but he doesn’t find anything special in looking at me on the small screen. He misses me at home. We are looking for our eyes and smiles live “, says Gavazova.
Her new TV partner also has a small child – his daughter Tamara is 2 and a half years old. “A wonderful child, curious and full of energy,” he says.
Zlatimir Yochev
goes through 5
televisions before
they like it from BTV
In the last month, before appearing on her screen, he hosted the morning block of Bulgaria On Air and at the same time ran dry trainings on BTV.
A week before his debut on the new television, he feels like he has a birthday every day. His phone keeps ringing after the media officially announces who their new host is.
Anton Hekimyan invites him to BTV. The two have known each other since their student years, when they studied television journalism at the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski ”. Hekimyan is a year older, but they are spotted at some lectures due to changes in the curriculum.
Later, the profession met them at the same events, the most memorable being Shipka during the celebrations for March 3, and each of them covered them for the television in which he worked.
Zlatimir Yochev was born in Haskovo in 1985, but his life passed in different places. He spent five years in Tripoli, where his mother and father worked, and he was in a Bulgarian school there from 1st to 4th grade. His mother is a medical professional, a midwife by education, and his father is an accountant. Unfortunately, in time he died ridiculously in an accident in Libya.
Already in Bulgaria, Zlatimir continues in a Russian high school. At that time he was seriously interested in football, but at the age of 16-17 he understood that he would not become a football player.
Applications journalism,
accept it on the 5th
success ends
your 2nd course
However, his TV career began as a second-year student, when after casting he became the host of the show “Guide BG” on BNT, which is broadcast with English subtitles. Meanwhile, Yochev completed his master’s degree in the Department of Psychology at the Faculty of Philosophy – “Organizational Behavior and Consulting of the Organization.”
But the show also ends, as it is a project of the State Tourism Agency, which ends at some point.
Thus, Yochev, again after casting, became the host of his first morning block on TV +, which at that time – 2009-2010, was created and recruited. For two and a half years he has been the face of the show, which is rather youthful. After that he started to host a tourist show on TV + – “Golden Mission”, on his idea. But this TV adventure ends in a year.
After his graduation, Yochev became a reporter and editor in the consumer show “Barcode” on TV7. It is made by the production company “No Frame”, which was owned by Violeta Sechkova – today Honorary Consul of Korea in our country, and the current Director General of BNT Emil Koshlukov. The show is in the format of Russian television and is very similar to “Read the label” – the column of Biliana Gavazova in “This morning”, which did not exist at that time.
“Then, for the first time, I experienced what I did recently with BTV – to receive a call with something you know you can’t refuse, because that’s what you’ve always imagined,” says the journalist.
Three years later, Yochev began making documentaries for BiT TV (created by the brothers Pavel and Rumen Valnevi), and later became a producer and host of a daily publicist show there.
However, the television ceased to exist and almost at the same time the journalist was invited to host the morning block of Bulgaria On Air. It was there that BTV noticed him and invited him to replace Hekimyan.
Months before that, and without connection with the proposal to Yochev, his wife Marina Tsekova started working at BTV. After her motherhood, she returned to Nova TV, but since December last year she has been part of BTV, where she reads the afternoon and late news.
Their daughter may still be very young, but she stares wide-eyed when his mother or father appears on television. “He spoke and sang with a look at the screen. But now I have to admit that we are facing serious competition from children’s movies, which we try to limit, “smiles Yochev.
– .
