Ministerialis

Ministerialis (plural ministeriales; a post-classical Latin word, used in English, meaning originally "servitor" or "agent", in a broad range of senses) were people raised up from serfdom to be placed in positions of power and responsibility. In the Holy Roman Empire, in the High Middle Ages, the word and its German translations, Ministeriale(n) and Dienstmann, came to describe those unfree nobles who made up a large majority of what could be described as the German knighthood during that time. What began as an irregular arrangement of workers with a wide variety of duties and restrictions rose in status and wealth to become the power brokers of an empire. The ministeriales were not legally free people, but held social rank. Legally, their liege lord determined who they could or could not marry, and they were not able to transfer their lords' properties to heirs or spouses. They were, however, considered members of the nobility since that was a social designation, not a legal one. Ministeriales were trained knights, held military responsibilities and surrounded themselves with the trappings of knighthood, and so were accepted as noblemen. Both women and men held the ministerial status, and the laws on ministeriales made no distinction between the sexes in how they were treated.

Vizion Plus

Vizion Plus is a satellite frequency, private television station founded in 1999 in Tirana, Albania, part of Edil-Al construction group and WAZ-Mediengruppe. Besides being found terrestrially throughout Albania, the station can be found in Europe through Tring Digital, North America on IPTV and around the world through its website's stream. At the end of 2007, the station unsuccessfully tried to obtain the third national coverage TV license in Albania. In 2002, it ranked sixth with 3.4% audience share. Latest opinion polls, have listed it as one of the favorite television channels of Albanians, on main top 3 TV channels in the Albanian Market.

Programs

Vizion Plus bought the rights to Zonë e Lirë, 2007-2011 considered as the highest rated talk show hosted by a former news editor, Arjan Çani. The channel collaborates with the most famous film studios, Sony Pictures Universal & Paramount Picture and has successfully fulfilled in the quality of media partner such activities as the editions of Miss Albania 2006, 2007 and 2008, Albanian Clip Nights, Miss Globe 2008, Editions of Shkodra Jazz Festival, Jazz Fest Tirana, the 5th edition of the Microphone Festival of Arts and editions of Cult Awards Academy. Recently, in collaboration with Tring Digital, Vizion Plus successfully bought the rights of the first Albanian edition of Dancing with the Stars and improvised comedy show Apartmenti 2XL. These two shows marked record audience.

Top Channel

Top Channel is a national commercial television station from Tirana, Albania, founded in 2001 by businessman Dritan Hoxha. A part of Top Media Group, in January 2008 Top Channel was awarded national frequency coverage by making it the third such channel in Albania. Top Channel prides itself for being at the edge of technological innovation. In 2009, it was the first Albanian channel to become available in 16:9 widescreen high-definition television for selected programs. Since September 2003, Top Channel has been present on satellite by broadcasting all over Europe through Digit-Alb, and North America through TV ALB and Shqip TV. The channel is available through IPTV in Europe and North America, and through local cable in Switzerland. Top Channel forms part of Top Media Group together with Top Albania Radio, Top Gold Radio, My Music Radio, daily newspaper Shqip, Shqip Magazine, part of pay TV platform DigitAlb, Top News, VGA Studio, musicAL, and Imperial Cinemas.

History

Top Channel began experimental broadcasts on 30 July 2001 at the International Center for Culture (Qendra Ndërkombëtare e Kulturës) also known as "the Pyramid" or former mausoleum of Enver Hoxha in Tirana (shortly called "Piramida"). Since then it has seen a very fast growth and success as it has become preferable by a growing number of people through the qualitative level of broadcasting technology and programs.