Public data analyst Martin Atanasov, the creator of the platforms “Cherna Pista” and “Diagnoza Bulgaria,” has accused bTV’s Director of News, Current Affairs and Sports Asen Ivanov of personally preventing him from appearing as a guest on the television channel.
Atanasov gained public attention in 2025 with “Cherna Pista” an interactive map that tracks road accidents and dangerous road sections across Bulgaria, filling a gap left by the lack of an accessible state platform with similar information. Recently, he launched his new project, “Diagnoza Bulgaria,” which focuses on analyzing public spending in the healthcare sector.
According to Atanasov, he was invited on July 7 to appear on bTV’s “Face to Face” program the following day, where he was expected to discuss findings from his latest platform. He said he accepted the invitation, but shortly afterward his participation was canceled. The explanation given to him was that another guest had already been scheduled to discuss a healthcare-related topic.
Atanasov later said he learned from an internal editorial discussion that the stated reason was not the actual one. According to him, the conversation showed that Ivanov questioned who he was and, after being told that he was the creator of “Cherna Pista,” responded: “This one will not step on the air of bTV as long as it depends on me.”
