RTSh – A Bankrupt Institution and the Need for Rescue
Flamur Bucpapaj
I warned about the situation at RTSh when I ran for office. I told the Steering Council that it is a bankrupt institution, immersed in the personal affairs of former directors. I said that for 30 years, RTSh has been controlled by Top Channel, Vjollca, and Klan Sandri. They have continuously exploited RTSh and, in almost every way, Albania itself. They are a group that, if you try to confront them, turn out to be connected to the former Security Service that founded the Democratic Alliance.
If you look closely, they are everywhere and hold everything in Albania in their hands. With my 25 years of experience in media management, newspapers, and construction companies—successfully not only in Albania but continuing in the USA and Europe—I wanted to save RTSh. I was clear when I presented the economic platform: first, the institution should be downsized through a government decision, where those released receive a ten-year salary from the state until they find another job. I presented the organizational chart, the plan, projections, a three-year economic plan, and the financial balance sheet.
The plan was:
Year One: stabilize payments, repay debt, and reconstruct the economy.
Year Two: achieve economic balance.
Year Three: generate profit.
I would produce programs with revenue, create profitable TV films, and Albanian series; establish partnerships with RAI, BNC, and CNN for advertisements and publicity; translate all programs into English using artificial intelligence; implement a subscription-based viewer network; bring in advertisements from major companies in Europe, Asia, and the USA.
I would introduce electric cars to replace gasoline and diesel vehicles, often misused by drivers and management; implement solar energy everywhere, instead of paying millions for electricity; bring transparency and AI-managed tendering, as I proposed that day. I would pursue legal action against all abusers and thieves from Top Channel, Vjollca, and Sandri.
Programming would include Albanian news, drama, series—short version: Albanian-English. We would be first in reporting news and events, Albanian documentary films, and the story of politically persecuted people, presented through Albanian archaeological documentaries, castles, and ethnography.
I would not close channels, but create jobs, strengthen the economy with accounting experts, and avoid endless advisors paid unnecessarily. All programs would be produced by RTSh journalists, not outsiders who divide the funds.
Current directors are not journalists and have no audience following; they brought the institution to collapse. I would return RTSh to the public, not the government. Everyone would be measured by work performance, not friendships.
I remember when I said we would introduce artificial intelligence, a member of the Steering Council said: “We don’t have offices.” I laughed. The matter comes to Eni Vasili. I don’t want to smear her because we share mutual friends and are journalists, but she cannot manage an economic enterprise.
Democratic Party: how did you end up voting for PS? In the Steering Council, five votes went to Eni Vasili, while I was voted in by PS. A joke? It happened. The right-wing public wants change; enough with political fossils.
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Memories, Intrigue, and the Weight of Transition
The problems of RTSh cannot be understood without considering Albania’s transitional history, where many public institutions were used and destroyed for political interests. My memories take me back to the years when Albania was going through its most difficult period.
Gazidede persecuted all of us from December ’90. Azem Hajdari, Arben Lika, and I were part of this group. An officer with a bad record, later killed in Vlora, warned me: “Be careful, you have 30 files from Gazidede behind you.”
Xhahit Xhaferi, a good man and anti-communist, told me that Gazidede was afraid I would take his position and wanted to eliminate me. These are just some of the intrigues that arose within institutions and politics. Conflicts, fear, and clashes were daily occurrences, and often RTSh and other institutions became battlegrounds for power and control.
General Agim Shehu, a hero of ’97, saved Albania from gangs and restored the state to offices, showing that with courage and determination, institutions can be rescued even from the worst situations. But many others tried to protect their personal interests, plunging RTSh and Albania into chaos.
These memories and intrigues show the weight of transition and how visionary individuals can change the course of events, while those without integrity can destroy an institution in just a few years.
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Conclusion – A Message to the Public and the Future of RTSh
All the episodes, memories, and experiences I have described reveal a simple truth: public institutions cannot function without integrity, vision, and responsibility. RTSh is not just a television station; it is a reflection of Albanian society, the voice of citizens, and a bridge across generations.
Every misuse, abuse, and appropriation of this institution directly affects the information citizens receive and the culture it transmits. The history of transition and the intrigues within RTSh and politics show that change does not happen by itself. It requires vision, courage, and determination.
If we want an independent, transparent, and profitable RTSh, we must accept that being a good journalist in a studio is not enough; managing such an institution requires leadership experience, economic planning, and the ability to make strategic decisions. Only then can we avoid corruption, political capture, and cultural decline.
My message to the public is clear: seek accurate information, demand integrity, and do not allow important institutions to serve narrow interests. To politicians, the message is equally clear: public institutions are not playgrounds; they are national responsibilities. Those who manage them without vision and accountability harm citizens and the country’s history.
RTSh can once again become a model institution in the region. It can produce news, documentaries, and cultural programs with real impact, promoting Albania worldwide. But this requires a new generation of leaders and employees to take their role seriously, leaving personal interests and political friendships behind.
In the end, this is not just a personal vision; it is a national responsibility. RTSh can no longer be an instrument of control or propaganda. It must be the voice of the people, a home of culture and accurate information, and an example of how integrity and professionalism can transform a bankrupt institution into a symbol of Albanian society.
