Carlo Bollino

Carlo Bollino is an Italian journalist, media owner and founder of Report TV and of the daily newspaper Shqiptarja.com. A former Albania correspondent for the Italian news agency ANSA settled in Albania in 1993, where he worked as a correspondent and executive for the daily newspaper Gazeta Shqiptare, News 24 and Balkanweb.com, three outlets owned by an Italian media company, Edisud LLC. Bollino, who would later marry one of his Albanian collaborators Alba Malltezi, has been active in the Albanian media since then.

After the Italian company Edisud LLC, where Bollino was a director, sold its shares in the above-mentioned media in 2011, Bollino and his wife Alba Malltezi founded the news website Shqiptarja.com, the newspaper Shqiptarja.com and Report TV.

Apart from his media businesses Bollino is linked to a non-profit organization ‘Qendra Ura’ (The Bridge Center), which obtained leases by the government to build museums in two communist era bunkers, known as ‘Bunkart’. Bollino was the curator of both “Bunkart’s. Bollino is also registered as a business consultant in international affairs since 2016 in the National Business Center.

In 2013 Bollino and Malltezi start a partnership with Koco Kokedhima, a media mogul and former MP, by acquiring 34% stake in a television station, Ballkan TV, which was rebranded A1 Report TV. Although the TV station was headed by Bollino and was publicly associated with Kokedhima, the two businessmen do not appear in the registrar records of A1 Report and Report TV. The shares and administration of the company was in the name of people related to the two entrepreneurs. The joint venture didn’t last long and ended in 2015, when Bollino relaunched the TV station under the brand Report TV. Lindita Dode registered a company Multiscreen, which in July 2015 received a license from AMA to transmit in the frequencies of the closed TV station ALSAT. Later same year the TV station and the company were running under the names Multiscreen; Report TV. Although, it is publicly known that the TV station was founded and ran by Bollino, he officially bought the shares from Doda in April 2017 for 3.5 million Lek (USD 31.094,53). Carlo Bollino, has 100% of shares in Multiscreen LLC.

The Italian journalist is perceived as close to the ruling Socialist Party and Prime Minister Edi Rama, although he maintains that his media are independent and he is an objective journalist. Bollino has been accused by former Prime Minister Sali Berisha of benefitting from projects financed by the government. The journalist has rejected the charges as politically motivated. The acquisition of Edisud LLC media holdings in Albania in 2011 was perceived as an attempt by Berisha to silence the critical editorial line of the outlets that were run by Bollino and his wife.

In response to the publication of MOM Albania, Mr. Bollino contributed a view of his biography to be added to the profile. His letter is available in the library or by clicking here.