Top Media
Top Media is one of the biggest media groups in Albania and belongs to the 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 owns the flagship TV station Top Channel and its informative channel Top News. The group also owns 42.82% 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.
Business Form
Private
Legal Form
Group
Business Sectors
Radio and Television Broadcasting; Telecommunication (infrastructure/antenna); Music production; Digital broadcasting network (DigitAlb and ADTN); Publishing; Advertising (VGA); Entertainment (Cinemas); Trade (coffee)
Individual Owner
Other TV Outlets
Top News (Missing data)
Other Radio Outlets
Top Gold Radio (Missing data)
My Music Radio (Missing data)
Other Online Outlets
www.gazeta-shqip.com
www.topalbaniaradio.com
Media Business
Digital Distribution networks
DigitAlb (42.82%)
ADTN (42.82%)
Sport licensing
DigitAlb (42.82%)
Publishing house
Saras (100%)
Digital Broadcasting
DigitAlb (42.82%)
Satellite Broadcasting
DigitAlb (42.82%)
Teleshopping
DigitAlb (42.82%)
Telecommunications
Kudopay (17%)
Television Broadcasting
Top Channel (100%)
Top News (100%)
Radio Broadcasting
Top Albania Radio (80%)
Top Gold (52%)
My Music (100%)
Business
Trade
Valtelina (100%)
Vini & Food (35%)
Advertising
VGA (100 %)
Publialb (50%)
Telecommunication
Kudopay (17%)
General Information
Founding Year
1998
Affiliated Interests Founder
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 further strengthened 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 then 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 closer to than Tirana mayor and opposition leader Edi Rama, now the Prime Minister of Albania. After Dritan Hoxha's death, his widow Vjollca and their four children, Lorela, Sara, Redia and Itan inherited his companies.
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 News (M11613001O); Top Albania Radio (K01719005H); DigitAlb ( K41719004D)
Financial Information
Revenue (Financial Data/ Optional)
Top Channel – 12.42 Mln. $/ 1409 Mln..Lek Top Albania Radio – 0,87 Mln.. $/ 99 Mln.. Lek
Operating Profit (in Mill. $)
Top Channel – 0.38 Mln.. $/ 43 Mln..Lek Top Albania Radio – 0,09 Mln.. $/ 10 Mln.. Lek
Advertising (in % of total funding)
Missing Data
Management
Supervisory Board
member of the supervisory council of Top Channel and the director of the satirical/investigative show ‘Fiks Fare’.
member of the supervisory council of Top Channel and a TV moderator. He is married to Sara Hoxha, shareholder of the company and daughter of late company founder Dritan Hoxha. Lico is also a shareholder of the local radio station, Top Gold.
member of the supervisory council of Top Channel and the chief financial officer at the same company.
Other Influential People
the editor in chief of the news division at Top Channel. He previously worked as a journalist and editor at Gazeta Shqiptare, TV Klan and for the TV talk show Top Story.
Resigned from her MP mandate in November 2022 to start a television career as moderator of the main political talk show in Top Channel, Top Story. Duma started her career as a lecturer and then as head of the Department of Sociology at the Faculty of Social Sciences in Tirana. She got involved in politics in 2011 as a deputy minister of Integration in the government of former Prime Minister, Sali Berisha. In 2014, Duma was elected secretary for Public Relations in the Democratic Party and in 2017 she was elected as member of the Parliament.
Further Information
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 2022. The Central Bank's average exchange rate for 2022 was used to convert the amounts into USD.
Top Channel replied to the information request made by the MOM team on 24 August 2023. See sources for more.
