During the April 2021 Parliamentary election campaign, the Political Parties, who are electoral subjects, have declared an amount of ALL 81 120 114 (eighty one million one hundred twenty thousand one hundred fourteen Lek) as expenses for media services. This sum does not include expenditures on social media, listing only those incurred by locally registered media providers, followed by a description of the media services.

Overall, the campaign costed ALL 286  116 821. Media expenditure makes up for 28.4% of the total electoral expenditures of the 2021 Campaign.

There are several media companies that have been contracted and paid by Electoral Entities. Two major national media in the country have received the largest share of the business. Thus, Klan TV has provided media services for Political Parties during the Campaign dates worth of ALL 19,462,373, or in percentage terms about 24% (23.95%) of this campaign’s overall Media Expenditure. Top Channel has provided invoiced services worth of ALL 19,208,499, or in percentage terms, 23.64% of the total expenditures incurred by the electoral entities during the Election Campaign.



Table: Media Entities contracted for media services by Electoral Entities during the 2021 Election, based on the contract value
Source: CEC, for each party
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

More than 70% of the expenditures for the Media category is shared between just 5 media companies. Meanwhile, political parties had previously declared in their reports a number of 26 media beneficiaries. After Klan TV and Top Channel, ranked next for the highest value benefitted are Focus Media News in the amount of ALL 7,674,280 or 9.46% of the overall media costs, MTSC SHPK in the amount of ALL 7 000 000, or 8.63% of the total and Vizion SHA in the amount of ALL 5 704 940, or 7.03% of the total.



Table: Main beneficiary Medias during the 2021 Election Campaign
Source: CEC, for each party
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania



Source: CEC, for each party
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

The same ranking holds when we look at contracting for media services by the Socialist Party.



Table: Media benefiting from SP budget during the 2021 election campaign
Source: CEC, for each party
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania



Source: CEC, for each party
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

As for the expenditures made for the “Media” item by the Democratic Party, 29.9% (ALL 6 148 499) of them were provided by Top Channel. Klan TV was contracted by the DP for services worth ALL 3,914,262 or 19.03% of the total expenses incurred for this item. Other beneficiaries, with an almost equal share of costs, are ABC News, Euro Balkan News, Focus Media, Channel One Sh.P.K., Vizion Sh.A., and 3 DS & AF Entertainment. These medias have benefited about ALL 1,300,000 each, or around 6.34% -6.35% of the media budget.



Table: Media benefiting from DP budget during the 2021 election campaign
Source: CEC, for each party
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania



Source: CEC, for each party
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

LSI has not incurred expenses for the Media item, as a party. Instead, its several of its candidates that have contributed with their own budget, as reported. The contracting was done mostly with local medias, such as 3 DS & AF Entertainment (ALL 123,120), F.K.T-TV Apollon (ALL 123,000), Star Shpk (ALL 120,000), and MAT TV (ALL 105,000).



Table: Media benefiting from SMI’s budget during the 2021 election campaign
Source: CEC, for each party
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania



Source: CEC, for each party
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

PDIU is listed as the third party with the highest amount of expenses for the Media item, after  the SP and PD, with a total budget of ALL 4,417,385. ABC News has benefited from 67.91% of this amount (ALL 3,000,000). The second beneficiary is 3 DS & AF Entertainment with ALL 498,545, followed by Focus Media and Panorama Group with ALL 369,420 each.



Table: Media benefiting from PJIU budget during the 2021 election campaign
Source: CEC, for each party
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

The Republican Party has spent 2,555,000 ALL on Media services. These expenses were divided between two beneficiaries, TV Klan who took ALL 1,495,000 (58.51%) and Top Channel with ALL 1,060,000 (41.49%).



Table: Media benefiting from PR budget during the 2021 election campaign
Source: CEC, for each party
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania



Source: CEC, for each party
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

Media expenses have also been made by the Democratic Conviction Party and the Movement for Change. Accordingly, the Democtatic Conviction has spent a budget of ALL 2,007,963, with listed beneficiaries Klan TV (ALL 824,000), G2 Media (ALL 522,113), Vizion SHA (ALL 391,140) and Panorama Group (ALL 270,710).



Table: Media benefiting from Democratic Conviction’s budget during the 2021 election campaign
Source: CEC, for each party
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

The Movement for Change has spent ALL 607,570, in favor of beneficiaries, Klan TV (ALL 515,425) and Blueberry’s Production (ALL 92,145).



Table: Media benefiting from MCH’s budget during the 2021 election campaign
Source: CEC, for each party
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

The New Democratic Spirit party spent ALL 130,507 on Media, with only one media benefiting from the party funds, 3D58AF Entertainment Shpk.



Table: Media benefiting from NDS budget during the 2021 election campaign
Source: CEC, for each party
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania

62.1% of the total expenditures incurred by all parties jointly for Media services, were made by the Socialist Party. The Democratic Party comes second with 25.35% of the funds.

Download excel: Political parties media expenditure and media contractors, 2021’s Election Campaign
Comments and Analyses: Open Data Albania
Kontribuoi: Ilir Brasha Translated by: Rezarta Cushaj