TIRANA, May 26 – Thousands of people paid their respects Saturday at the funeral of Dritan Hoxha of Top Media, Albania’s most successful media magnate.
Hoxha, owner of Top Channel TV station, Top Albania radio, Top Gold radio, Digitalb, Gazeta Shqip, and also a coffee trader, was driving his car, a 2007 Ferrari Fiorano, when the car left the street, hit a tree on the bank of Tirana’s Lana river and split in half. Besides killing Hoxha, 39, the crash also claimed a passenger in the auto, Entela Hysko, 27.
Hoxha’s death turned into a public display of grief followed by questions about his legacy in the media and in Albanian business, where he was a symbol of the new Albanian post-communist entrepreneurial class.
Hoxha’s media outlet has been an irritant to governments, both of the existing administration of Prime Minister Sali Berisha of the governing Democratic Party and the former Socialist party government.
Top Channel has been recognized for playing an important role in post-communist Albania with independent news reports and investigations focusing on corruption and crime in the country, particularly the corruption that has plagued Albania during its post-communist period.
Hoxha left Tirana University in 1991 where he was studying medicine to work aboard ships which took him to Italy.
He worked in an electronics factory in Italy, which served to stimulate his interest in technology.
Following one year in electronics, Hoxha became a coffee trader, eventually becoming the largest coffee house in the country with his Lori brand.
Following coffee he became involved in the media, launching the Top Albania Radio station ten years ago and, later, the Top Channel television station. His programming brought a modern and independent approach to news, entertainment and music shows, including corruption-busting programs, and drew large audiences.
Industry observers acknowledged that Hoxha has installed the most updated technology in his television station, considered the most modern in the country and, possibly, among the best in Europe.
A few years ago, Hoxha launched a pay-television service that became a commercial success with sales to Albanians at home and abroad. It provides customers with six high definition channels, more than any similar service in Europe.
He also launched a television-to-mobile phone service in Albania.
Hoxha was reputed to be ‘crazy’ about acquiring new technology, not sparing money and buying the most updated technology for his television station.
Last year, the ruling Democratic Party government of Prime Minister Sali Berisha slapped a 13 million euro fine on Hoxha’s group, though efforts to collect the fine appear to have come to a halt.
Hoxha’s Top Channel won a national license, but was forced to gradually move out of its leased offices in the pyramid-shaped building initially built as a museum for Albania’s late dictator, Enver Hoxha.
Hoxha’s Top Media Group employs nearly 800 people.
Hoxha is survived by his wife, three daughters, a son, and his mother.
Funeral
Not surprisingly, his funeral was attended by thousands of people, including journalists from his media group and the country’s other outlets, and many citizens who had become virtually untied to traditional media by his digital television platform.
Mourners each threw a rose on his coffin and continuously clapped while he was taken from his home for a final drive past Top Channel and, then, along Tirana’s main boulevard, through his suburban quarter of Lapraka and ending at the cemetery.
“Dritan Hoxha will be remembered as the founder of a media empire that changed the tastes of Albanians and made a great contribution to the opening of Albanian society,” Hoxha’s Top Media group said in a statement.
President Bamir Topi visited the Top Channel offices to offer his condolences and meet with Hoxha’s family.
Many politicians, primarily from the current opposition, were also present at the funeral, headed by Socialist leader Edi Rama, who responded with great emotion to Hoxha’s death.
“One of those making history passed away today. Tani (Dritan) of Top (media group) managed to achieve in seven years what countries like Albania normally need 70 years to achieve. He lived at 3000 km/h and flew away catching the dream and switching on the screen of the new century in Albania,” wrote Rama.
Businessmen were also shocked by his death.
The Tirana Chamber of Commerce issued a statement highly praising Hoxha’s contributions as a successful entrepreneur and promoter in Albania.
Police says high speed caused the death
Police issued a statement following their investigation that the cause of the death was driving at high speeds. It was found that Hoxha’s Ferrari was traveling at 170 km/h when it crashed, according to officials.
Following the Saturday night crash, the car slid for scores of meters in front of Top Channel’s new offices, the so-called Ekspozita.
Hoxha and the woman in the car died within minutes after police arrived at the accident scene.
Politics turns aggressive
Three days after the accident, Hoxha’s death became a political topic among the country’s ever-squabbling politicians
The governing Democratic Party, issued a statement asking why the media had not mentioned that Hoxha was in the car with a 27-year old woman who also died. The message noted that the passenger had been referred to as a journalist, though she was not.
Many columnists and journalists considered the message a warning to the next leader of the media group.
As a counter-balance, two government ministers, Genc Ruli and Sokol Olldashi, paid a condolence visit to Hoxha’s home.
