ABC News
ABC News is a 24-hour news television channel based in Tirana. It started broadcasting in 2010, on the frequency of Telenorba Shqiptare, a defunct local television. In 2011, ABC News received a Radio license in the regions of Tirana, Durrës, Fier and Vlora.
ABC News has changed owners several times in the last decade and ownership has not always been transparent. After the last change in 2022, the television underwent restructuring and a number of well-known journalists and moderators lost their jobs. The leader of the opposition, former Prime Minister Sali Berisha, accused the current Prime Minister Edi Rama of taking control over the ABC News. “I appeal to the new owner of ABC, that if you turn the television into a loudspeaker for Erion Veliaj and Edi Rama, you will face serious consequences," Berisha declared on 24 March 2023.
Audience Share
XX.XX%
Ownership Type
Private
Geographic Coverage
Local (Fier, Tiranë, Elbasan, Durrës)
Content Type
Free-to-air (digital)
Media Companies / Groups
Media Holding
Ownership Structure
ABC News is owned 100% by the company A.B.C Management LLC. The owner of the A.B.C Management LLC is the company Media Holding LLC, owned in 100% of the shares by the Kosovo citizen Esat Bojku.
Voting Rights
Voting rights are the same as shareholder rights.
Individual Owner
General Information
Founding Year
2000
Affiliated Interests Founder
The history of the company ABC News JSC goes back to the year 2000, when a company named Telenorba Shqiptare was founded in Albania with shareholders Eligio Romanazi (14.35%), Scorpion Sh.p.k (23.65%), Donato D'Alessandro (40%) and Giovanni D 'Alessandro, (22%). Telenorba Shqiptare received its first permit to open a local television station in November 2000 from the National Council of Radio and Television, the predecessor of AMA (Audiovisual Media Authority). In 2006, The Council refused the request to renovate the 5-year license for this channel. The company was sold several times up to 2007, when Redi Sata obtained 80% of the shares. In 2009, the National Council of Radio and Television decided to revoke its previous decision and renovated the license for another 5 years. In 2010, the name of the company was changed from Telenorba Shqiptare to ABC News.
ABC News JSC was sold several more times even after the name change. In 2016, Sata sold 40% of the shares to Aleksander Frangaj and his wife, Alba Gina for a price of 20,000 euros. In May 2019, Frangaj and Gina purchased the remaining part of the shares, but three months later they sold ABC News JSC to the A.B.C Management company for 600,000 euros. The Greek citizen, Efthymia Gkouma owned 100% of the shares of A.B.C Management. The company was managed for 3 years by Idaver Sherifi, who has previously worked as an Administrative Director of American Hospital.
In October 2022, the mother company of ABC News was sold again to Media Holding LLC for the price of 2.7 million euros. Esat Bojku, a Kosovo citizen owns 100% of the shares of Media Holding LL. He is an unknown figure in the Albanian media market.
Affiliated Interests Ceo
The CEO of ABC News JSC since November 2022. Kapaj has previously worked as director of Marketing and PR at American Hospital. According to her profile on LinkedIn, Kapaj worked as an event coordinator at the Socialist Party during 2006-2007 and as a logistics coordinator at Mjaft Movement during 2007.
Co-administrator at ABC News company since November 2022.
Affiliated Interests other important people
Journalist and moderator of the political TV show “Real Story”. He is also the Director of ABC News. Balla started his career in journalism in early 90s and worked for the daily newspapers “Gazeta Shqiptare” and “Koha Jone”. Later on, Balla switched to television and directed the news departments for TV Klan, Top Channel and Vision Plus. In May 2023, Balla received the title “Grand Master” from the President Bajram Begaj for his contribution in print and electronic media. Balla is also the author of several nonfiction books.
An Albanian businessman with activities in construction, hotels and energy. He is the owner of the company Tirana International Development. In February 2000, Male was appointed chairman of the Supervisory Council of ABC News.
Former judge of the Republic and a member of the Supervisory Council of ABC News since February 2020. She held the position of the head of Durres Court during 2014-2019, when she resigned while facing the vetting process.
Contact
Financial Information
Revenue (in Mill. $)
3.06 Mln..$/ 347 Mln.. Lek
Operating Profit (in Mill. $)
-1.17 Mln..$/-133 Mln..Lek
Advertising (in % of total funding)
Missing Data
Market Share
5.8%
Further Information
Meta Data
The ownership structure and financial statement are publicly available on the Albanian National Business Registry. The financial data provided are for 2022. The Central Bank's average exchange rate for 2022 have been used to convert the amounts into USD. Audience share for Top TV stations was provided by Idra Media, for the period of 8 May 2022 to 8 May 2023. See sources for more.
