Balkanweb.com

Balkanweb.com is one of the first online news portals in Albania, founded in 2002 by the Italian company Edisud Radio TV LLC. In 2011, Balkanweb.com changed ownership and was sold to the company Focus Media News LLC, together with television News 24 and the daily newspaper Gazeta Shqiptare for 5.9 Million EUR. Balkanweb.com covers news and information from all four corners of Albania with text, photo and video in real time. The portal also offers lighter news, gossip and transmits live the broadcast feed of News 24 TV, together with video from its shows. In response to an information request from MOM, the company Focus Media News LLC, referred to the portal as the main online source of news in Albania, declaring 2.6 million unique users for the period October-December 2017 and 41 million page views per month.

Key facts

Audience Share

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Ownership Type

private

Geographic Coverage

International

Content Type

free content

Passive Transparency

upon request, ownership data is easily available from the company/channel

3 ♥

Media Companies / Groups

Focus Media Group

Ownership

Ownership Structure

Balkanweb is one of the oldest news portals in Albania and it is owned by the “Focus Media News” LLC. The sole shareholder of “Focus Media News” is “Focus Group” LLC. The businessman Irfan Hysenbelliu is publicly known as the owner and the President of “Focus Group” LLC, but according to Albanian Business Registry, the proxy owner is his cousin, Bashkim Hysenbelli.

Voting Rights

Only the shareholder has the right to vote.

Individual Owner

Media Companies / Groups
Facts

General Information

Founding Year

2000

Affiliated Interests Founder

EDISUD LLC – is an Italian media company headquartered in the southern port city of Bari, which in 2002 was represented by President Giuseppe Lobuono. On March 26, 2002 the Italian company founded in Albania Edisud Radio TV, with a capital of 25 million Lek and active in radio and television. The legal representative of the company was Carlo Bollino, at the time a correspondent for the Italian news agency ANSA and executive manager of the Albanian daily newspaper Gazeta Shqiptare. On May 20, 2011, EDISUD sold its media holdings in Tirana, including its trademarks News 24, Gazeta Shqiptare, Milosao, Nderkombetare, Telegazeta, Blouetooth and Shqiptare, to Focus Media Group, which was owned by the late banker Artan Santo and the businessman Irfan Hysenbelliu.

Affiliated Interests Ceo

Mustafa Muco – has been a member of the Socialist Party and Minister of Economy and Privatization in the government headed by Ilir Meta in 2001. He was one of the founding members of Meta’s Socialist Movement for Integration in 2004, but later withdrew from active participation in politics. In July 2016, was named CEO of Focus Media News and continues to hold the position.

Affiliated Interests Editor-In-Chief

Matilda Arapi – is a journalist. She holds the position of editor in chief at Balkanweb news portal.

Affiliated Interests other important people

Vilma Mesarea Theodhosi – is the marketing director of media outlets of “Focus Media News” LLC.

Contact

Rruga Ali Demi, ish-Kombinati i Autotraktorëve,

Zyrat e Administratës, Tirana

Tel: +355(4)359104

Website: balkanweb.com

Financial Information

Revenue (in Mill. $)

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Operating Profit (in Mill. $)

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Advertising (in % of total funding)

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Market Share

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  • Project by
    BIRN ALBANIA
  •  
    Global Media Registry
  •  
    Funded by European Union