The news channel’s decision to use scantily clad anchors, a move made in 2016, garnered significant attention, not just in Albania, but globally.

Zjarr TV, looking to boost ratings and attract viewers, opted for a format where its female presenters delivered the news in revealing outfits—often wearing open jackets with nothing underneath.

This approach was highly unconventional, especially in Albania, a conservative country in the Balkans with a significant Muslim population

However, according to the TV station’s owner, Ismet Drishti, the provocative style was not just a ploy for viewership, but also a symbolic gesture aimed at breaking down the barriers of censorship and political manipulation in the media.

Drishti defended the decision, saying, “In Albania, where the news is manipulated by political powers, the audience needed a medium that would present the information like it is—naked.”

He asserted that the nudity symbolized transparency, stating, “We don’t sell sex, we reproduce the news as it is. It’s both symbolic and good publicity.”