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RAI (Radiotelevisione Italiana) is the Italian public service broadcaster. It operates three terrestrial television channels and three radio channels, in addition to several satellite and digital terrestrial offerings. Born in 1944, it started television broadcasts on the 3 January, 1954. Formerly a publicly-owned company, it is now undergoing a lengthy process of part-privatisation. Half of RAI’s revenues come from the television licence fee, half from advertising. RAI has the highest audience share of any public service broadcaster in Western Europe, but competition with Silvio Berlusconi’s Mediaset group of channels has led to accusations of a decline in quality.

Early history

Like the BBC, RAI started off as a privately owned company. The Unione Radiofonica Italiana (URI) was formed in 1924 by private entrepreneurs and part of the Marconi group. Granted a monopoly of radio broadcasts in 1924, URI made its first broadcast – a Haydn quartet – on the 24th October of that year.

URI – or EIAR as it was named in 1927 – survived until 1944 when, under Allied pressure, it was reborn as Radio audizione italiana, or RAI. Still a privately owned company, it operated two networks: Rete Rossa and Rete Azzura, with Rossa playing more serious music and Azzura featuring occasional variety shows.

It was not until 1954 that RAI took on a recognisably modern form. In this year the state-controlled holding company IRI became the sole shareholder, and RAI finally began a regular television service. The first day’s schedule featured a report on the opening of RAI’s studio at Milan, sporting events of the day, and an early evening film.

Management

RAI is governed by a nine member Administrative Council. Seven of its nine members are elected by parliamentary committee, the remaining two (one of which includes the President) are nominated by the largest shareholder - that is, the Finance Ministry. The Council appoints the director-general. Both director-general and members of the administrative council are appointed for a renewable term of three years.

Television

Rai broadcasts three main terrestrial channels. RaiUno is the main channel, and targets the family market. RaiDue has in recent years lacked clear focus, but now attempts to focus on a slightly younger audience than RaiUno. RaiTre, which began broadcasting in 1979, is the ‘alternative’ channel, with a definite public service remit.

Satellite television channels

Radio channels

Radio1
Radio2
Radio3
Gr Parlamento
Isoradio
FD Auditorium
FD IV Canale

News

TG 1
TG 2
TG 3
TG Regional
Tagesschau (German speaking news from Bozen-Bolzano)
Meteo
Sports

Other programmes

San Remo Music Festival (Festival della canzone italiana)
Uno Mattina - morning magazine programme (Rai Uno)
Domenica In - Sunday show (Rai Uno)
Italian version of The Weakest Link
Club Disney - shown on Rai Due

Series

ER - shown on Rai Due
Friends - shown on Rai Due
The District - shown on Rai Due
Charmed (Streghe) - shown on Rai Due
JAG - shown on Rai Due
The Practice - shown on Rai Due
Without a Trace - shown on Rai Due
Desperate Housewives - shown on Rai Due (from 2005)
Navy NCIS - shown on Rai Due

Other satellite TV programmes

The Late Show with David Letterman - shown on RAI Sat Extra
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno - shown on RAI Sat Extra

External links

Official Website

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''RAI''' (Radiotelevisione Italiana) is the primary [[Italy|Italian]] [[radio]] and [[television]] [[broadcasting]] system. A publicly-owned corporation, it started regular broadcasting on [[3 January]] [[1954]]. Rai was settled in Torino (where there were the first HQ) and in Milano where there were the studios. In the end of the 60's the Rai was tranfered in Roma for a Governement decision. Today Rai have a great HQ at Saxa Rubra, a northern suburb of the capital.
+'''RAI''' (''Radiotelevisione Italiana'') is the Italian public service broadcaster. It operates three terrestrial television channels and three radio channels, in addition to several satellite and digital terrestrial offerings. Born in [[1944]], it started television broadcasts on the [[3 January]], [[1954]]. Formerly a publicly-owned company, it is now undergoing a lengthy process of part-privatisation. Half of RAI’s revenues come from the television licence fee, half from advertising. RAI has the highest audience share of any public service broadcaster in Western Europe, but competition with Silvio Berlusconi’s [[Mediaset]] group of channels has led to accusations of a decline in quality.
-It has headquarters in [[Rome, Italy|Rome]] and [[Milan, Italy|Milan]].
+==Early history==
-==National television channels==
+Like the [[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]], RAI started off as a privately owned company. The Unione Radiofonica Italiana (URI) was formed in 1924 by private entrepreneurs and part of the Marconi group. Granted a monopoly of radio broadcasts in 1924, URI made its first broadcast – a Haydn quartet – on the 24th October of that year.
-*[[Rai Uno]]
-*[[Rai Due]]
+URI – or EIAR as it was named in 1927 – survived until 1944 when, under Allied pressure, it was reborn as ''Radio audizione italiana'', or RAI. Still a privately owned company, it operated two networks: Rete Rossa and Rete Azzura, with Rossa playing more serious music and Azzura featuring occasional variety shows.
-*[[Rai Tre]]
-*[[RAI-Sender Bozen]] (regional German-speaking programme)
+It was not until 1954 that RAI took on a recognisably modern form. In this year the state-controlled holding company IRI became the sole shareholder, and RAI finally began a regular television service. The first day’s schedule featured a report on the opening of RAI’s studio at Milan, sporting events of the day, and an early evening film.
+==Management==
+RAI is governed by a nine member Administrative Council. Seven of its nine members are elected by parliamentary committee, the remaining two (one of which includes the President) are nominated by the largest shareholder - that is, the [http://www.tesoro.it Finance Ministry]. The Council appoints the director-general. Both director-general and members of the administrative council are appointed for a renewable term of three years.
+==Television==
+Rai broadcasts three main terrestrial channels. [[RaiUno]] is the main channel, and targets the family market. [[RaiDue]] has in recent years lacked clear focus, but now attempts to focus on a slightly younger audience than RaiUno. [[RaiTre]], which began broadcasting in 1979, is the ‘alternative’ channel, with a definite public service remit.
 ==Satellite television channels==
@@ Line 26: / Line 32: @@
 *FD IV Canale
-==Programmes==
 ===News===