Standard
Standard is a daily newspaper and has been publishing since the end of 2005 and for many years has published a weekend edition. The newspaper was founded as a center-right media outlet, but later was closely committed to the positions of the Democratic Party. During the last two-years the newspaper has published a series of articles based on conspiracy theories against the Hungarian-American philanthropist George Soros.
Audience Share
0.99%
Ownership Type
Private
Geographic Coverage
National
Content Type
Paid content
Media Companies / Groups
Standard L.T.D. LLC
Ownership Structure
Sofokli Duni is the sole owner of the company
Voting Rights
Only the shareholder has the right to vote.
Individual Owner
General Information
Founding Year
2005
Affiliated Interests Founder
Gerti Duni, Faik Dizdari, Etleva Kadilli – the daily newspaper Standard was founded in 2005 by Gerti Duni, Faik Dizdari and Etleva Kadillari, under the company Standard LLC. According to data from the National Business Center this company is currently under liquidation procedures, while since 2013 the newspaper is published by the company Standard LTD LLC, with sole owner Sofokli Duni. Sofokli Duni is the brother of Gerti Duni and a former CEO of Standard LLC. Sofokli Duni has been a former candidate for the National Council of the Democratic Party, while the newspaper has been perceived as supporting the Democratic Party. The Duni brothers have lived for part of their lives in Slovakia, where they are involved in the printing business. Both also have businesses in Albania.
Gerti Duni – in Albania owns the company MF1, which is a service company. His brother Sofokli Duni is 24% owner of the football club in the town of Himara and 50% owner of the real estate development company Ionian Coast Property Development LLC. The other 50% of this company is owned by Florenc Gjikuria.
The Duni brothers have been the main shareholders of the newspaper since it was founded.
One the founders, Etleva Kadillari, is the wife of Fatbardh Kadilli, who previously served as the head of the anti-corruption unit in the cabinet of former Prime Minister Sali Berisha and later was elected as an MP for the Democratic Party. Kadillari withdrew shortly after the company was founded. Her shares were first bought by Faik Dizdari and Gerti Duni, which later sold them to Genti Gurashi. Gurashi is also 100% owner of another company named Standard LLC and consulting business registered under his name.
Although, it does now appear in the register among the owners, the company Media Standard LLC, was run by Arjan Cukaj, who was known publicly as one of the publishers of the newspaper. Cukaj owns a private university and has business interests in construction and energy. Cukaj was involved in a series of back and forth accusations with former minister of education Genc Pollo, now an opposition MP, who ended up in court for a defamation lawsuit.
Faik Dizdari, the other founder of Standard LLC, a businessman with interests in the service industry, hotels and trade, withdrew from the company although he still owns shares in Standard LLC, the company that published the newspaper until 2013 and is now suspended. Business records show that a bailiff’s office has asked for its activity to be suspended over debts.
Affiliated Interests Ceo
Sofokli Duni – is the CEO of the newspaper since 2006 and now is the sole owner of the company that publishes the newspaper Standard LTD LLC. He is a shareholder in the Himara Football Club. He previously owned a restaurant in Himara, which now appears as a suspended business in the register and 50% of the shares in the company Ionian Cost Property Development LLC. He has lived for some years in Slovakia, where together with his brother was involved in the printing business. Sofokli is perceived as being close to the Democratic Party and has ran for office in the past as a candidate for the national council.
Affiliated Interests Editor-In-Chief
Gezim Saliu – is the editor in chief of the daily newspaper Standard.
Contact
Email info@standard.al
Website: www.standard.al
Financial Information
Revenue (in Mill. $)
0.02 Mio. $ / 1.9 Mio. Lek
Operating Profit (in Mill. $)
0.00 Mio. $ / 0.1 Mio. Lek
Advertising (in % of total funding)
Missing Data
Market Share
0.3%
Further Information
Meta Data
The information on the company and its financial statement were obtained from the Albanian National Business Center. The company that founded the newspaper is suspended in the register and the newspaper is published by a company that was established in 2013.For the purpose of evaluating weight of assets and revenues of this company in the print media market, MOM have calculated the value of assets, revenues and profits of 11 Print Media Companies. The companies/outlets included in the calculation are as follows: Panorama, Gazeta Shqiptare, Koha Jone, Mapo, Shekulli, Tema, Dita, Shqiptarja.com, Standard, Sot News and Monitor.
