The common Albanian-speaking media market between the reality and utopia

Abstract

Even though the Albanian-speaking media operates in a common space, of a geographic continuity and a population that speaks the same language; this media is divided in three separated markets, within the geographic borders of the Republic of Albania, Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Macedonia. Practically, there are no political barriers for the distribution of the media products in all these markets. Especially, after the independence of the Republic of Kosovo and the Ohrid Agreement of 2001, that somehow solved the situation of the Albanians in Macedonia, there are no political barriers in the communication process among the Albanians. Even though the conditions created have been favorable, there have been not so many attempts to create common media spaces. After 1999, the TV channels have been the first to start the attempts in creating common Albanian-speaking media space. The creation of this joint media space through the visual media has been facilitated also from the satellite transmissions of the most important TV channels in Albania and in Kosova. In this common communicative space, the Albanian TV channels: Top Channel, Klan TV have the biggest audience in Kosova and in Macedonia. The Kosovar Tv channels or the TV channels of Macedonia have a much smaller audience in Albania. On the other hand, only Top Albania Radio and Radio Tirana have audience in a part of the territories inhabited from Albanians in Kosova, Macedonia and Montenegro. The other radios cannot transmit outside the territories of the Republic of Albania, Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Macedonia. Only in the cross border areas between Albania, Kosova, Macedonia and Montenegro, some local radios have an audience that goes beyond the local communities within the territories of the country they transmit. The press is a media with the most limited communication in the Albanian-speaking area. Practically, the Albanian print media that is published in Albania, Kosova and Macedonia it is not distributed outside of the territories of these respective countries.The creation of a common Albanian-speaking media space is made possible only through Internet. Almost, all the forums, blogs and the online newspapers in Albanian language target the audience of all the Albanian-speaking area. The perspective of the creation of a unified Albanian-speaking media space is still far. Living in different political and social realities makes it impossible to create a powerful media that can operate in areas inhabited by Albanians in the Balkans. The language, ethnicity and the common culture are elements that are favorable of the integration of the media space, but apparently they are not decisive elements in this phenomenon. The TVs and Internet are more advanced in this regard, because of the advantage that the technology offers.