Top Media

Top Media

Top Media is the biggest media group in Albania and belongs to Hoxha family. Its history starts in 1998, when Dritan Hoxha founded Top Albania Radio and three years later Top Channel TV, which in a short period of time became the most popular television in Albania, with famous journalists in its employ and cutting-edge technology. In 2004 Hoxha launched the pay-per-view platform DigitAlb, which strengthened further his media conglomerate, Top Media. Hoxha died on May 23, 2008 at age 40, in a deadly accident in his Ferrari 599. His wife, Vjollca Hoxha and their four children have taken over the business since then. Top Media Group has expanded its activities over the years and today own the flagship TV station Top Channel and its informative channel Top News. The group owns also 51% of pay per view platform DigitAlb, Top Albania Radio, Top Gold Radio and My Music Radio, the online newspaper Shqip and the advertising studio VGA. DigitAlb itself owns a second distribution network called ADTN and 95% of the shares at Imperial Cinemas network.

Key facts

Business Form

Private

Legal Form

Limited Liability Company

Business Sectors

Radio and Television Broadcasting; Telecommunication (infrastructure/antenna); Music production; Digital broadcasting network (DigitAlb and ADTN); Publishing; Advertising (VGA); Entertainment (Cinemas); Trade (coffee)

Ownership

Individual Owner

Other Media Outlets

Other Radio Outlets

Top Gold Radio (7.05%)

Other Online Outlets

www.gazeta-shqip.com

Facts

Media Business

Digital Distribution networks

DigitAlb (51%)

Sport licensing

DigitAlb (51%)

Publishing house

Saras (100%)

Digital Broadcasting

DigitAlb (51%)

Satellite Broadcasting

DigitAlb (51%)

Teleshopping

DigitAlb (51%)

Telecommunications

Hightel Towers Albania (4.42%)

Business

Trade

Valtelina (49%)

Music Production

My Music (100%)

Advertising

VGA (100 %)

Telecommunications

IPKO mobile operator and internet distributor in Kosovo

General Information

Founding Year

1998

Affiliated Interests Founder

Dritan Hoxha – Dritan Hoxha’s controversial business career started as a coffee importer; however, it was his investment in media that made him famous, often dubbed as a ‘pioneer of digital media’ in the region. In 1998 Hoxha founded Top Albania Radio and three years later Top Channel TV, which in a short period of time became the most popular television in Albania, due to his staff of famous journalists and cutting edge technology. In 2004 Hoxha launched the pay-per-view platform DigitAlb, which strengthened further his media conglomerate, Top Media. Hoxha died on May 23, 2008 at age 40, in a deadly accident with his Ferrari 599. His funeral was attended by high state dignitaries, like than President Bamir Topi and current Prime Minister Edi Rama. However, Hoxha did not have a smooth relationship with all politicians. Before he passed away he had a deep conflict with former Prime Minister Sali Berisha, over satellite broadcasting licenses and a number of corruption scandals of the Democratic Party led government broadcast by Top Channel TV. These investigations created a perception that the broadcaster was close to than Tirana mayor and opposition leader Edi Rama, now the Prime Minister of Albania. However, during the last few months the TV station has transmitted a number of critical stories that target the Rama government, which for many observers signals a change in its editorial line for the first time in two decades.

Employees

Missing Data

Contact

Rruga “17 Nentori”, Nr. 20, Mezez Koder, Komuna Kashar, Tiranа

Tel: +355 69 20 80 500

Webiste: top-channel.tv

Tax/ ID Number

Top Channel (K12007002U); Top Albania Radio (K01719005H)

Financial Information

Revenue (Financial Data/ Optional)

Top Channel: 12.4 Mio. $ / 1.59 Bn. Lek Top Albania Radio: 0.44 Mio. $ / 56.04 Mio. Lek DigitAlb: 44.293 Mio. $ / 5.682 Mio. Lek

Operating Profit (in Mill. $)

Top Channel: 0.009 Mio. $ / 1.1 Mio. Lek Top Albania Radio: 0.01 Mio. $ / 1.44 Mio. Lek DigitAlb: 0.92 Mio. $ / 118.72 Mio. Lek

Advertising (in % of total funding)

Missing Data

Management

Supervisory Board

Filip Cakuli – is a member of the supervisory council of Top Channel and the director of the satirical/investigative show ‘Fiks Fare’.

Other Influential People

Ben Blushi – is an Albanian politician, writer and journalist. He was the editor in chief of the daily newspaper “Koha Jone” during the 90s, but he embarked upon a political career in the cabinet of Socialist Prime Minister Fatos Nano in 2000. He firstly became Prefect of Korça and later served as Minister of Education and Local Governance. In 2005, Edi Rama took over the Socialist Party and Blushi was among his supporters. Later, he became one of the biggest opponents of Rama. Blushi left Socialist Party in 2016 and created LIBRA, a new movement of anti-establishment rhetoric. On its first electoral test in June 2017, LIBRA failed to elect any members into the Parliament. On 20 January 2018, Blushi left politics and returned in media. One week later he was appointed as General Director of Top Channel TV station.

Further Information

Active Transparency

company/channel informs proactively and comprehensively about its ownership, data is constantly updated and easily verifiable

4 ♥

Meta Data

Top Media is not a legal entity, but a group of companies owned primarily by the Hoxha family. The ownership data and financial statements for Top Channel, Top Albania Radio and DigitAlb were obtained from the Albanian National Business Register. The financial data provided are for 2016. The Central Bank's average exchange rate for 2016 was used to convert the amounts into USD. Top Channel replied to the MOM information request on 29 December 2017. DigitAlb also replied to the MOM information request in January 2018. See sources for more. Audience share for Top TV stations was provided by Abacus Research and Telemetrix for 2017, the data are conflicting that’s why both audience shares are presented.

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