ABC News
It is a 24-hour news channel based in Tirana and operated over years through a local license. In 2011, ABC News received a radio license for the regions of Tirana, Durres, Fier and Vlora.
ABC News was created in 2000 as Telenorba Shqiptare. The company was rebranded into ABC News in 2007 when Redi Sata purchased 80% of the shares for 150 Lek (USD 1.86) and took over the responsibility for accumulated company debt amounting to 350.000 Euro.
Audience Share
XX.XX%
Ownership Type
Private
Geographic Coverage
Local
Content Type
Free-to-air (Online, Digital)
Media Companies / Groups
ABC News JSC
Ownership Structure
ABC News is owned by a shareholding company ABC News which has the following shareholders: Redi Sata, 60%, Aleksander Frangaj 20% and Alba Gina 20%
Voting Rights
Only the shareholder has the right to vote.
Group / Individual Owner
Redi Sata
Redi Sata owns 60% of ABC News and has no other businesses registered in the Albanian Business Registry. Sata purchased 80% of ABC News in 2007 for 150 lek (USD 1.86) from Telenorba LLC. The company had a nominal value of 172 million lek (USD 2.1 Mio) and accumulated debt of 350,000 Euro. Sata purchased the shares and took the responsibility for the debt.
In May 2016, Sata purchased 20% of the remaining shares from Eligio Romanazzi and Giovanni D'Alessandro for 40,000 Euro. In May 2016, Sata sold 40% of the shares to Aleksander Frangaj and Alba Gina for 20,000 euro each and a total of 40,000 Euro.
Individual Owner
General Information
Founding Year
2000
Affiliated Interests Founder
In 2000, a company called Telenorba Shqiptare was created, with shareholders Eligio Romanazi 14.35%, Scorpion Sh.p.k (23.65%), Donato D'Alessandro 40% and Giovanni D'Alessandro, 22%. Telenorba Shqitare 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. ABC News has been created in 2000 as Telenorba Shqiptare. 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.
Founders are Italian citizens and have sold their shares. They have no other known affiliations or business interests in Albania.
Affiliated Interests Ceo
Eglantina Lamaj – is the current CEO of the company. She has no other known affiliations of business interests.
Affiliated Interests Editor-In-Chief
Artur Zonja - a journalist that has worked previously on Public Radio Television in Albania as Director of News and Information Department.
Affiliated Interests other important people
Mimoza Koçiu – is a journalist with long experience in several TV channels, including ABC News and Klan. She has worked also as an advisor to Bamir Topi, the former President of Albania.
Mirela Milori – is a journalist with long experience in several TV Channels, including Klan and Voice of America.
Contact
Rruga Aleksander Moisiu, Ish-Kinostudio, Tirana
Website: abcnews.al/contact/
Financial Information
Revenue (in Mill. $)
1.23 Mio. $ / 170 Mio. Lek
Operating Profit (in Mill. $)
0.18 Mio. $ / 22.7 Mio. Lek
Advertising (in % of total funding)
Missing Data
Market Share
4.2%
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 2016. The Central Bank's average exchange rate for 2016 of 128,29 Lek per USD was used to convert the amounts into USD. For the purpose of evaluating weight of assets and revenues of this company in the media market, MOM have calculated the value of assets, revenues and profits of 8 TV companies/groups with free-to-air outlets. The companies included in the calculation are as follows: Top Channel, Klan, Media Vizion, Multiscreen, Focus Media News, ABC News, Ora News and Scan. This calculation does not include the pay-per-view distributors DigitAlb, Tring TV and the Public Broadcaster RTSH. 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.
