Profile
Aleph Media is a company whose majority beneficial owner is Adrian Sarbu, the founder of the Pro TV station back in the 1990s. Sarbu, a former film director, recorded the street protests during the 1989 anti-communist revolution, which ultimately led to the collapse of Nicolae Ceausescu’s dictatorship in Romania. Shortly after its launch, Pro TV broke the monopoly of Romania’s former state broadcaster. With its sensationalist news content, American blockbusters, and mass-catering television shows (a novelty in a country at the time as Romanians had only a dull state broadcaster for decades during communism), Pro TV has successfully maintained its leading position in the Romanian television market.
Sarbu has been involved in a series of scandals since his resignation as CEO of CME in 2013. Two years later, he was arrested on charges of tax evasion, embezzlement and money laundering. Later, he set up a new media company, Aleph Media, a company that became insolvent in 2023.
Aleph Media controlled through various other vehicles the television broadcasters Smart TV, Aleph News and Aleph Business, as well as Radio Smart. In its seven years of operations, Aleph News has lost in excess of €25m.
In founding some of the Aleph News’ media, Sarbu was joined by Marius Tuca, a controversial Romanian journalist who became known for his support for Ion Iliescu, a former Romanian President. Iliescu has protected during his years in power many dignitaries of the collapsed communist regime, helping them to amass financial and political power, which led to a flourishing corruption culture that has survived to this day.
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