Vizion Plus

Vizion Plus is a privately owned Albanian television broadcaster headquartered in Tirana. It began broadcasting in 1999 as a local station and subsequently expanded its signal and programming to become one of Albania's principal national commercial channels. The broadcaster operates as part of Media Vizion, a company controlled by the Dulaku family and associated with the wider Concord Investment Group. The channel has a generalist programming model. Its schedule combines regular news bulletins, political and current-affairs programmes, entertainment, comedy, variety, music, reality television, films, imported drama series and lifestyle content. Over time, Vizion Plus has been associated with locally produced formats including Dancing with the Stars Albania, Albania's Got Talent, Ferma VIP, Apartamenti 2XL, Bypass Show, Al Pazar and Quo Vadis. The mix of factual, political and entertainment programming allows it to compete for both mass audiences and commercially valuable prime-time viewers. Vizion Plus developed during Albania's transition from analogue to digital broadcasting. It has been distributed through digital terrestrial television and has also been carried through the Tring pay-television ecosystem, including satellite, cable, IPTV and online or OTT services. Tring and other media assets are linked to the Dulaku family's broader business interests. This relationship has given Vizion Plus access to a wider distribution network while also placing the channel within a large cross-sector business group whose activities extend beyond media. The broadcaster's ownership has changed over time. The station's early corporate history is associated with the name Gjeli Vizion. Media Vizion was registered in 2000 by Artan Dulaku, Genci Dulaku and Agim Buxheli; after Buxheli's departure, Adrian Dulaku also became a shareholder. Foreign investors and media companies, including entities associated with the WAZ group, held interests during part of the late 2000s and early 2010s. Those interests were sold back by 2012, after which Media Vizion was reported to be wholly controlled by the three Dulaku brothers, with broadly equal ownership and voting rights. Vizion Plus is frequently discussed in research on Albanian media concentration. The Dulaku family's holdings in construction, real estate, tourism, telecommunications and other regulated or permit-dependent sectors have led media-freedom organisations and academic projects to examine possible conflicts between commercial interests, political relationships and editorial independence. Reports have attributed allegations of favourable coverage of Prime Minister Edi Rama and the Socialist Party to the channel or its owners. Other reports have described alleged editorial interference involving investigative stories. These claims are disputed or denied by the company and should be understood as part of the wider debate over media capture and clientelism in Albania, rather than as established legal findings against Vizion Plus. The channel remains an active national broadcaster. Its continuing role combines conventional television news and entertainment with digital distribution, while its ownership and programming are closely connected to the structure of Albania's concentrated private media market.

Vizion Plus emerged during the liberalisation and commercialisation of Albanian broadcasting in the late 1990s. It began broadcasting from Tirana in 1999, initially serving a local audience. The station was associated with the earlier name Gjeli Vizion, and its corporate structure was formalised when Media Vizion was registered in 2000 by Artan Dulaku, Genci Dulaku and Agim Buxheli. After Buxheli left the ownership structure, Adrian Dulaku joined the company and the broadcaster continued under the Vizion Plus name. During its first phase, the station developed a generalist schedule rather than a narrowly specialised service. News and political discussion were combined with entertainment, music, comedy, films, imported serials and locally produced programmes. As its transmission footprint expanded, Vizion Plus became a national commercial broadcaster and competed with Albania's other major private television networks for advertising, audience share and premium programming formats. Ownership was not entirely domestic throughout the channel's early expansion. During the late 2000s and early 2010s, public registry and media-industry accounts identified foreign corporate shareholders, including OST Holding GmbH, Spot AG and Media Holdings Beteiligungs AG. The WAZ media group was also reported to have held an interest in the Albanian market through Vizion Plus. These foreign stakes were subsequently sold. By 2012, Media Vizion was reported to be wholly owned by Artan, Adrian and Genci Dulaku, with each brother holding an approximately equal share and equal voting rights. Genci Dulaku was identified as the company's chief executive from the early 2000s. The broadcaster's growth coincided with Albania's difficult transition from analogue to digital television. Vizion Plus became associated with digital terrestrial distribution and was also carried through the Tring pay-television platform. Tring provided satellite, cable, IPTV and later online or OTT distribution, linking Vizion Plus to a broader family-controlled media ecosystem. The Dulaku family's related interests have included television, publishing and lifestyle media, while its wider business activities have extended into construction, property, tourism, telecommunications and other sectors. Programming became a central part of the channel's competitive identity. Vizion Plus carried news editions and political talk shows while building a substantial entertainment portfolio. Its associated programmes have included Dancing with the Stars Albania, Albania's Got Talent, Ferma VIP, Apartamenti 2XL, Bypass Show, Al Pazar, 7pa5 and Quo Vadis. The channel also carried Zonë e Lirë during part of its run, from 2007 to 2011. These formats helped establish a schedule combining locally produced franchises, comedy and variety with imported drama and general entertainment. Vizion Plus has also become a recurring subject in research on media ownership and political influence in Albania. Media-monitoring projects have described Albania's television market as highly concentrated, with major broadcasters controlled by a small number of wealthy families and business groups. In the case of Vizion Plus, observers have focused on the Dulaku family's simultaneous interests in media and sectors dependent on public permissions, contracts, investment policy and regulation. Some reports have alleged favourable treatment or coverage connected to Edi Rama and the Socialist Party, while the company and its representatives have rejected accusations of improper censorship or political interference. Specific allegations have included claims that an investigative programme was prevented from broadcasting a critical report concerning waste management in Tirana and alleged abuses involving the city's landfill. Journalists associated with the story later described leaving the broadcaster or taking the report elsewhere. These accounts remain disputed allegations and form part of the broader discussion of self-censorship, owner influence and political pressure in Albanian media. The channel's role was again examined during the 2025 parliamentary election campaign. Monitoring of major private broadcasters, including Vizion Plus, reported uneven visibility among political parties and substantial airtime for the largest parties and their leaders. Such findings have reinforced the channel's importance in debates about electoral media access, pluralism and editorial independence. Despite these controversies, Vizion Plus continues to operate as a national Albanian broadcaster with a mixed news, current-affairs and entertainment service supported by terrestrial and digital distribution.

• 2025

  Election coverage is monitored

  Media-monitoring organisations examine political airtime and party visibility on Vizion Plus during the parliamentary election campaign.

• 2015

  Analogue-switch-off deadline passes

  [1]Vizion Plusen.wikipedia.org

  Albania's planned deadline for analogue television switch-off passes amid delays and disputes in the digitalisation process.

• 2012

  Dulaku family ownership is consolidated

  [1]Vizion Plusen.wikipedia.org

  Reported foreign and other minority shareholders exit, leaving Media Vizion controlled by the three Dulaku brothers.

• 2007

  Zonë e Lirë joins the schedule

  [1]Vizion Plusen.wikipedia.org

  Vizion Plus broadcasts Zonë e Lirë during part of the programme's run, before it later moves to other broadcasters.

• 2000

  Media Vizion is registered

  [1]Vizion Plusen.wikipedia.org

  Artan Dulaku, Genci Dulaku and Agim Buxheli register Media Vizion, the company associated with ownership of the station.

• 1999

  Broadcasting begins in Tirana

  [1]Vizion Plusen.wikipedia.org

  Vizion Plus begins operating as a local television station in Tirana.

A broad-based national commercial broadcaster combining news, political discussion, locally produced entertainment and imported television content for the Albanian mass market.

• Broadcast television · 1999

  National television channel

  Vizion Plus is a generalist Albanian television service broadcasting nationally from Tirana. Its core output includes scheduled news, current affairs, entertainment, comedy, music, reality formats, films, imported series and locally produced programmes. The channel is distributed through digital terrestrial television and related digital platforms.

• Television programming

  News and current affairs

  The channel's news and public-affairs output includes regular bulletins, political interviews and discussion programmes. Quo Vadis and 7pa5 are among the current-affairs or news-related programmes associated with its schedule. This programming gives Vizion Plus a role in Albania's political information environment as well as in commercial television.

• Television programming

  Entertainment and reality formats

  Vizion Plus has built a significant entertainment portfolio around locally produced and adapted formats. Associated programmes include Dancing with the Stars Albania, Albania's Got Talent and Ferma VIP, alongside comedy and variety titles such as Apartamenti 2XL, Bypass Show and Al Pazar. These programmes support prime-time audience reach and help define the channel's mass-market identity.

• Television distribution

  Digital distribution

  Vizion Plus content has been distributed through digital terrestrial television and through the Tring ecosystem, including satellite, cable, IPTV and online or OTT services. Digital distribution extends the channel beyond its conventional terrestrial broadcast and connects it to the wider media assets associated with the Dulaku family.

• 2025

  Election airtime and political-bias concerns

  Monitoring during Albania's parliamentary election campaign reported disproportionate visibility for the largest political parties and leaders on major private broadcasters, including Vizion Plus. The findings were discussed in the wider context of media concentration and unequal access to television coverage.

• 2016

  Alleged suppression of an investigative report

  Media-monitoring accounts reported allegations that the owners prevented an investigative programme from airing a critical story concerning waste management in Tirana and alleged abuses involving the city's mayor. Vizion Plus or its representatives denied accusations of censorship or politically motivated editorial interference.

  Source

• Media ownership and political-influence allegations

  Media-freedom and ownership studies have linked Vizion Plus's position in the Dulaku family's cross-sector business group to broader concerns about political influence, clientelism, self-censorship and media capture in Albania. These are attributed allegations and structural criticisms, not established findings of unlawful conduct by the broadcaster.

  Source

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• 2012

  Consolidation under the Dulaku familyM&A

  Background

  Media Vizion had previously included foreign and other minority shareholders, including interests associated with the WAZ media group.

  Action taken

  The remaining shareholders reportedly sold their stakes, leaving the three Dulaku brothers with equal ownership and voting rights.

  Aftermath

  Vizion Plus became part of a more clearly family-controlled media structure linked to the wider Concord Investment Group.

  Source

• Expansion into national and digital distributionStrategy

  Background

  The Albanian television market moved gradually from local analogue broadcasting toward national digital services.

  Action taken

  Vizion Plus expanded its terrestrial reach and used digital terrestrial, pay-television and online distribution, including the Tring platform.

  Aftermath

  The broadcaster became a national commercial channel with access to multiple transmission and viewing platforms.

  Source

• Development of locally produced entertainment formatsProduct launch

  Background

  Competition among Albanian private broadcasters encouraged investment in domestic formats and adaptations of international entertainment franchises.

  Action taken

  Vizion Plus added or became associated with formats including Dancing with the Stars Albania, Albania's Got Talent, Ferma VIP and comedy-variety programmes.

  Aftermath

  Entertainment became a major part of the channel's prime-time identity alongside news and political programming.

  Source

1. 1Vizion Plusen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Vizion Plus official websitevizionplus.tv