Media ownership concentration: TV owners and business links
Status: Ongoing; ownership data from MOM summary and Gazeta Tema 2024
Summary
The Media Ownership Monitor and RSF describe Albania's commercial TV market as held by four or five families or companies: the Hoxha family (Top Media, Top Channel), the Frangaj family (Klan), the Dulaku family (Media Vizion) and Irfan Hysenbelliu (News 24). Gazeta Tema reported in 2024 that the two largest groups held about 79 percent of the market in 2023 (Top Channel and Klan together about 64 percent, per the same summary).
Business-to-media links also exist. Balfin Group (Samir Mane) agreed to buy SCAN TV, and a 2014 joint venture, Hightel Tower Albania, linked Top Channel, Klan and Mane. Top Channel is reported to have turned critical of Rama in recent years; that claim needs checking against its coverage.
No documented ownership link between Rama and any TV group was found. The question for this file is whether the owners' business interests (public contracts, permits, concessions) make them less critical of the government. That is a hypothesis, not a finding.
Key facts
- Four largest commercial TV owners: Hoxha (Top Media), Frangaj (Klan), Dulaku (Media Vizion), Hysenbelliu (News 24) (MOM).
- Top Channel and Klan together about 64 percent of the free-to-air market in 2023 (Gazeta Tema summary).
- Hightel Tower Albania joint venture (2014) with Top Channel, Klan and Samir Mane (MOM).
- Balfin Group agreed to buy SCAN TV (Exit.al, date not shown).
The record
Four lists kept apart on purpose: what is established, what is only alleged, what is still open, and what those concerned said.
What is proven (1)
Established by documents or official records, as stated in the research. A recorded charge or indictment proves only that the accusation was made.
- The ownership structure of the main TV groups as profiled by MOM.
What is alleged (1)
Accusations, not findings. Those accused are presumed innocent.
- AllegationOwners with state business interests may moderate their coverage of the government. Not established.
Allegations and who made them (1)
Each line is an allegation as recorded, with the person or body that made it where the record names them.
- AllegationRSF: media ownership concentrated in four or five companies (RSF summary).
Open questions (3)
- Current ownership of Klan, News 24, Media Vizion and SCAN TV from the business register.
- Advertising and state-funded campaign flows to these groups.
- Changes in editorial line since 2024, documented with specific coverage.
Responses (1)
Responses of the people and organisations concerned, as recorded.
- No response from the media owners was found in this search.
Sources for this record
Every source the research cites for this record, grouped by its source label. 3 sources.
Source label: Officially reportedOfficially reported · 1 source
- Publisher
- Media Ownership Monitor Albania (RSF / Reporters without Borders)
- Date
- unknown
Source label: Under investigationUnder investigation · 2 sources
- Publisher
- Gazeta Tema
- Date
- 2024
- Publisher
- Exit.al
- Date
- unknown