17 years without "Tani i Topit", the media genius in Albania

2025-05-23 13:37:00, Aktualitet CNA

Today, 17 years ago, the founder of "Top Channel", Dritan Hoxha, lost his life in a tragic accident.

Dritan Hoxha passed away on May 23, 2008, after an accident with his Ferrari. He was otherwise known as "Tani Topit", the founder of the media revolution in Albania.

The late Dritan Hoxha began his business career in 1995, starting with the creation of the well-known coffee brand Lori Caffee.

Remaining in the same field of commercial activity, he further expanded his business activity, introducing another brand of imported coffee, “Illy Cafe”. The commercial activity in this field and the ambitious character of the businessman oriented him towards broader and more powerful projects.

The success he had with creating this business helped him establish and fulfill his media dream.

So on February 14, 1998, he founded "Top Albania Radio", which was the media that first showcased his innovative ideas.

In 2001, on December 20, he created the television "Top Channel". Although this was a project that Dritan Hoxha had previously designed in his mind.

A major investment in Albania, in people and technology, which, thanks to the dedication of the joint work and the daily passion of its creator, quickly turned, within a few weeks, into one of the most watched television channels and then into the main television channel in the country in terms of audience.

"Top Channel" completely changed the television landscape in Albania. Dritan Hoxha did not build a television according to the conditions of the time, but sought to change the status quo of the still primitive media in Albania and establish a quality service close to the people and for all Albanians.

Therefore, with the new standards he set in the market, "Top Channel" became the most beloved screen of Albanians in terms of the speed and quality of information, programs and shows that were no less than those of many of the well-known televisions in developed European countries. To this passion and human effort, he also attached technological investment, which helped in transmitting the signal everywhere with maximum quality.

The success of "Top Channel" helped Dritan Hoxha realize another dream, that of creating a digital broadcasting platform. And thus DigitAlb was born. On July 14, 2004, Albania officially became one of the few countries in the world with digital broadcasting. An idea that many would have considered impossible a few months ago has now become a reality.

And in the drought of services offered to Albanians, which "Top Channel" could not fill alone, DigitAlb became a real success. Just a few months later, Dritan Hoxha decided to make it accessible to all Albanians, even those living outside Albania. DigitAlb also became a digital satellite platform, bringing the homeland to every emigrant's home, wherever they were in Europe.

On December 20, 2006, it launched DVBH technology, which would bring the miracle of cellular television to Albanians and make Albania one of the first countries in the world to apply this technology and offer this service.

The year 2007 would mark another innovation, HD broadcasting. Through it, DigitAlb became the leading platform in European markets, broadcasting on a full 6 HD channels and placing Albania at the top of every ranking in this field, perhaps for the first time for achievements and not negative phenomena.

Precisely for all these achievements, Dritan Hoxha, in addition to the appreciation and honor of millions of Albanians, has been awarded a medal by the President of the Republic, Bamir Topi, and has been declared an honorary citizen of Tirana and Vlora, by the Municipal Councils of these cities. Three streets bear his name, one in Tirana, one in Pristina and the other in Tetovo as symbols of the contribution that Dritan Hoxha made to the cultural unification and emancipation of Albanians in all ethnic lands.

After these investments in the media industry, Dritan Hoxha further expanded his activity with a daily newspaper, "Shqip", and then with the production and introduction of the first mobile phone in Albania, which also offered a mobile television service.

However, throughout his career, the pinnacle of success and the activity to which the businessman devoted himself most was the television "Top Channel". A brand with which the businessman had begun to identify himself more and more since 2001, when this television channel first began its broadcasts./ CNA.al