The American network Newsmax, close to President Donald Trump, will open media in Albania through Serbia. Kapitali has learned that Arena News Channels Two shpk, registered at the National Business Center a week ago, is the commercial entity behind Newsmax Balkans, the American network's franchise for the Balkans.
The ultimate owner of Arena News Channels Two, which was registered in Tirana a week ago, is Telekom Serbia. In April 2023, Telekom Serbia announced that it had reached an agreement to acquire the Newsmax network franchise for Eastern Europe.
"Telecom Serbia is proud that Newsmax has chosen us as a reliable partner to broadcast its content and expand its presence in Europe," said at the time, Telecom Serbia CEO Vladimir Lucic. "After Bloomberg and Euronews, Newsmax is now the third such partnership for Telecom Serbia, which seeks to bring accurate and reliable news coverage to Serbia and the region from important Serbian partners such as the United States. Telecom Serbia will ensure that its news broadcasts throughout Southeast Europe are of the highest quality and in line with the Newsmax brand in the United States."
Christopher Ruddy, CEO of Newsmax Media, Inc., said Newsmax was excited about its partnership with Telecom Serbia, which has become an impressive player in multiple European markets.
Ruddy added: “Newsmax saw this deal as an opportunity to join a respected leader in multimedia, Telecom Serbia, but also to strengthen America’s ties to the people of Serbia and the Balkans. The United States and Serbia were allies in both World Wars, share a common desire to overcome the destructive legacy of communism in Eastern Europe, and both continue to support democratic societies. We believe that millions of Americans, Serbians, and others will see us as an important source of information they can trust.”
In September of this year, Newsmax Balkans announced a call for staff recruitment in Tirana. Meanwhile, unconfirmed sources say that Richard Grenell is also involved in the project to bring Newsmax to Albania, while one of the first managers recruited is Elert Yzeiri, the former director of A2 CNN.
The arrival of the well-known American media network in Albania, via Serbia, has created quite a bit of surprise. Some of the leaders of Newsmax Balkans in Serbia are people who were key figures in the media propaganda of the former infamous butcher of the Balkans, Slobodan Milosevic.
Newsmax Media, Inc. operates Newsmax, one of the nation's leading media outlets. The Newsmax channel airs on all major cable and satellite systems. Newsmax's media properties reach more than 40 million Americans on a regular basis through Newsmax TV, the Newsmax App, its popular website Newsmax.com and publications such as Newsmax Magazine. Forbes has called Newsmax "a news powerhouse."
This media outlet has an editorial policy very close to President Donald Trump's line, being considered one of the leading conservative media outlets in the United States.
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