Radio Tirana
Radio Tirana is the first radio station in Albania. It was inaugurated by King Zog I on November 28, 1938, and according to the history published on the radio's online page, the first words in the broadcast were "Ju flet Tirana" (This is Tirana calling), which continues to be used as the station's slogan.
Radio Tirana boasts a rich archive of well-known Albanian music voices, including Marije Kraja, Tonin Guraziu, Tefta Tashko Koço, Merita Sakoli, and also preserves the voices of Aleksandër Moisiu and Fan Stilian Noli.
The first director of the Radio was Gjergj Bubani. Initially, Radio broadcasted folk music. Bubani, who had previously been part of the Albanian press in the diaspora and involved in efforts to establish an Albanian state, opposed the Italian Fascist occupation. In its history, the radio states that it made calls for mass protests. Bubani also opposed the Italian claim to change the Radio's programming, however, it was used as a propaganda tool by the Fascist occupiers and later by the Nazis.
The reclaiming of the radio's control by the partisan forces of the National Liberation Army led by the Communists on November 17, 1944, was marked as a historic date, and the writer Ismail Kadare wrote a novel on this subject. The Communists, aiming to install their power, arrested Gjergj Bubani, who was sentenced to 15 years and worked for 5 years of forced labor in Maliq.
After being taken under the control of the dictatorship, Radio Tirana was used as a tool for its propaganda and similarly used broadcasts in several foreign languages. A liberalizing attempt in the 1970s, when radio managers attempted to broadcast foreign music including "The Beatles," was severely punished after the so-called “11th Festival”. Radio directors, singers, and composers were imprisoned, and their families were interned.
After the 1990s, the radio, which was now part of RTSH (Albanian Radio-Television), suffered the same fate as television and was politically utilized by the ruling political parties. However, as radio was not a significant propaganda tool, it was not seen as part of the political interest. Unlike television, despite the decline in the medium's importance due to technology, Radio Tirana continues to be one of the main radios in the country. Its most well-known and followed broadcasts have been primarily entertainment-oriented, including the show "Nga një ndeshje në tjetrën" (From one match to another), which has survived for over 40 years. The radio also produces a series of podcasts with interviews about current events, mainly hosted by journalists Pëllumb Troci and Andri Xhahu.
The Radio is now part of RTSH and is managed by the General Director and the Board of RTSH, similar to television. Recent structural changes in the 2016 statute have merged its management with that of television, eliminating a separate leadership unit. Radio's funding comes from the public as part of RTSH, with funds allocated by the General Director.
Reports from the State Supreme Audit Institution have raised suspicions of financial mismanagement within RTSH. However, suspected abuses were not punished until 2021 when former director Thoma Gëllçi and some employees were arrested on charges of abuse of office by the Special Structure Against Corruption (SPAK). Gëllçi and the employees were found guilty, and the former director was sentenced to 16 months in prison for misuse of duty.
Doubts about the quality of programming, the effectiveness of a structure with over 960 employees in radio and television, and abuses have recently been raised by members of the Board of RTSH. Chairman Leka Bungo and members like Mevlan Shanaj have openly criticized the quality of programs, mainly emphasizing the lack of artistic programming and audience loss.
During the annual reporting to the Parliamentary Commission for Education and Public Information Tools, director Mevlan Shanaj stated that RTSH had abandoned the audience, and no one, including commission members, was watching.
In response to a request for information about MOM (Measurement of Audience), RTSH stated that there were no data available for viewership and radio listenership.
RTSH's content is regulated by law and is subject to the oversight of the Board of RTSH (KDRTSH), a collegial body elected by the parliament. The public broadcaster operates in accordance with its statute and regulations that provide guidelines for its content. Additionally, there are several content monitoring boards that aim to represent the interests of Albanian society.
However, public criticisms mainly relate to financial management and artistic quality. Members of the KDRTSH claim that politically, the television is independent, despite accusations from the opposition regarding its stances.
Audience Share
Missingdata
Ownership Type
Public
Geographic Coverage
National
Content Type
free content
Media Companies / Groups
The Albanian Radio Television (RTSH)
Ownership Structure
The Albanian Radio Television (RTSH) is a nonprofit institution, registered as a legal public entity under the control of the Albanian Parliament.
Voting Rights
The legislation stipulates that the parliament has the authority to exercise control over the institution by appointing members to the Supervisory Council of RTSH, with the majority holding 6 seats and the opposition holding 5 seats. However, due to political deadlock, the Supervisory Council has not been fully staffed for the past 4 years. Despite the expectation that the selection process should be non-political, past elections for the new director of RTSH revealed a division along party lines within the Supervisory Council. The failure to appoint a new director for nearly three years, as required by the law with a qualified majority of Supervisory Council members, prompted the majority to amend the "Audiovisual Media Law" in 2016, allowing for the appointment of a contested new director. Unlike before, the final vote to appoint Alfred Peza as the new director was unanimous, with all 8 members of the Supervisory Council present at the meeting voting in favor. However, the current composition of the Supervisory Council, which consists of 9 members out of 11, was elected during the years 2019, 2020, and 2021, when the current opposition boycotted the parliament. They now claim that they are not represented within the institution.
Individual Owner
General Information
Founding Year
1938
Affiliated Interests Founder
Radio Tirana was founded by the Kingdom of Albania. In the few months of its existence before Albania was invaded by fascist Italy in 1939, the radio stations transmitted mainly music and education programs. The radio first transmitted using gramophone discs donated by citizens.
Affiliated Interests Ceo
was elected as the General Director of the Albanian Radio Television (RTSH) on June 13th, with a unanimous vote from the members of the RTSH Supervisory Council (Board). He is a former Member of Parliament and former Secretary of Media Relations for the ruling Socialist Party. Peza also has a long career as a journalist and media executive.
After completing his studies at the military officers' school, Peza pursued a secondary education in Language and Literature at the University of Elbasan. He began his career as a journalist in the mid-90s at the newspaper "Populli Po" and later joined the newspaper "Koha Jonë," where he served as the editor-in-chief in 1998. Peza was also the first editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Shekulli" from 1999 to 2000 and later became the news director at "Klan" television. From 2001, he led the newspaper "Korrieri" and served as the General Director of "Ora News" TV for three years starting from 2007. From 2011 to 2013, he was the Director of Information at "Vizion+" TV.
In 2013, Peza entered politics and became a candidate for and was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Socialist Party in the Peqin area. After completing his mandate, he did not run for re-election, but until September 2021, he held the position of Secretary of Media Relations for the Socialist Party.
Peza's appointment as the RTSH General Director was met with accusations from the opposition. Member of Parliament Ina Zhupa, who is also a member of the Parliamentary Commission for Education and Public Information, referred to a session with the head of the RTSH Board of Directors, Lenga Bungo, and member Mevlan Shanaj, questioning the legality of Peza's appointment. According to the law, any party member, former Member of Parliament, or person involved in politics is prohibited from being elected as the head of RTSH.
After Peza's appointment, Zhupa publicly denounced on her Facebook page that Peza's candidacy did not comply with the law. The head of the RTSH Supervisory Council claims that Peza met the legal criteria.
One of Zhupa's accusations of violating the law was Peza's connection to the news portal Alpenews. The portal started operating in 2017 and was registered as a business in the name of Alfred Peza in October 2018. Although the business was subsequently deregistered on an unclear date. However, the portal continues to be active, and in the contact section, it displays the same address and the same NIPT number with which it was registered by Peza.
Peza's writings, mainly Op-Ed pieces supporting the majority and criticizing the opposition and its representatives, were published there until January 2023 under the section reserved exclusively for Peza, often authored by a user with the pseudonym "redaktor 1."
The selection of Peza was met with concern by media freedom organizations, who demanded guarantees from him regarding editorial freedom at RTSH.
Before assuming the position at RTSH, Peza was the Director of Media at "Panorama" until December 2022. Unlike the pro-government opinions in Alpenews, in this position, Peza accused Prime Minister Edi Rama and his fellow socialist Members of Parliament of demolishing the "Prestige" resort, owned by Irfan Hysenbelliu, who was also the owner of "Panorama."
During his tenure as a Member of Parliament, Peza was accused by the General Prosecutor's Office of "Concealment of Income," "Money Laundering of Proceeds from Criminal Activities," "Refusal to Declare," non-declaration, concealment, or false declaration of assets." The accusations arose after Peza's spouse purchased 1 percent of the shares of "Credins" bank for 113 million lekë.
Initially, the case was sent to the Supreme Court but was transferred to the Tirana District Court due to jurisdiction. The Tirana District Court declared Peza innocent since the prosecution withdrew most of the charges and referred the case for trial only on the charge of "failure to declare assets." The Supreme Court and the Serious Crimes Court also rejected the prosecution's requests for asset seizure.
Regarding this matter, Peza was also accused of using the Alpenews portal to attack the former prosecutor of the case against him, Rovena Gashi. Parts of this clash ended up at the European Court of Human Rights in the case filed by Gashi and her spouse, former prosecutor Dritan Gina, against Albania regarding their suspension by the General Prosecutor. However, Gashi's claims that the articles had violated her privacy were dismissed by the court.
Affiliated Interests Editor-In-Chief
The position remains vacant according to the response RTSH provided to MOM request.
Affiliated Interests other important people
A film director, actor, and screenwriter, was elected in March 2021, as the head of the Supervisory Council of the Albanian Radio Television (KDRTSH). Unlike his predecessors on the Board, Bungo was highly active and vocal, accusing the ex-General Directors of RTSH of misconduct.
Under Bungo's leadership, KDRTSH made the decision to dismiss the former General Director, Thoma Gëllçi, whose mandate had already expired in May 2021. Bungo publicly criticized the management of RTSH until that point during various occasions, including his speech to the Parliamentary Commission for Media and Education on November 5, 2021.
In an interview with RTSH in August 2021, Bungo accused both current and former RTSH executives of various abuses. He referred to a report from the Supreme State Audit, which according to him revealed that 80 percent of RTSH executives had been warned of potential dismissals. Bungo also mentioned the opening of new channels within RTSH, which, in his view, increased costs while compromising the quality of productions. Indeed, following the findings of the Supreme State Audit mentioned by Bungo, Thoma Gëllçi, the former director, was arrested and subsequently sentenced to two years in prison for abuse of duty.
Even after Enkelejd Joti's appointment as the new General Director in early 2022, Bungo remained active in the affairs of RTSH. He wrote public letters accusing Joti of making abusive appointments and reminding him of his promise to resign if the issues were not addressed. Shortly after these public statements, Joti indeed resigned.
However, Bungo himself faced allegations of persecuting RTSH employees who were associated with the arrested former director, Thoma Gëllçi. Additionally, there were public accusations against Bungo concerning tender processes and appointments at RTSH.
An Albanian director and actor, was elected as a member of KDRTSH in 2021. Shanaj had previously held leadership roles in RTSH, serving as the Director of the Film Department at TVSH from 1987 to 1992 and as the Director of the Film and Arts Department in 2001. Additionally, Shanaj is a professor in the directing department at the Academy of Arts.
Has been the Deputy General Director of RTSH since February 2022 and served as the Acting General Director from April 2023 to June 2023 following the resignation of Enkelej Joti from the position of General Director. Neziri has extensive experience in the media industry and, according to his LinkedIn page, has worked as the Chief Engineer/Technology Director of Top-Channel for over 21 years. Previously, he was the Technical Manager of the former Tele Arbëria and also lists experience in teaching.
Just like other directors of the public television, including the resigned director Enkelejd Joti and the former director of the News Unit, Bledar Zaganjori, Neziri comes after a long period of work for the competitors of the private national television, Top-Channel.
Was appointed as the Director of the Program Unit at RTSH, taking the place of Melsi Qirici, who held this position for almost two years. Xhanija has a background as a journalist and manager at the "Alpe News" portal, founded by the new director of RTSH, Alfred Peza. The portal has published a series of interviews under her name, mainly with candidates for deputies or municipal mayors from the ranks of the Socialist Party. The portal began its activities in 2017 and was registered as a business in the NRC under the name of Alfred Peza in October 2018. The business was subsequently deregistered on an unclear later date. In 2017, she was a candidate for deputy for Tirana on the list of the now-merged Libra Party led by Ben Blushi.
He is a well-known journalist and sports commentator who serves as the editor-in-chief of the show "From one match to another" on Radio Tirana.
Contact
Financial Information
Revenue (in Mill. $)
Missing data
Operating Profit (in Mill. $)
Non-profit
Advertising (in % of total funding)
Missing Data
Market Share
Missing Data
Further Information
Meta Data
The information on the company and its financial statements, were obtained from reports published by RTSH on its official website and the response RTSH provided after a MOM FOI request. RTSH has the highest budget and market share, but most of its revenues come from direct tax. There is no separate financial report for each of its components including Radio Tirana.
