RAI

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.

Presidents of RAI

• Arturo Carlo Jemolo 1945 - 1946
• Giuseppe Spataro 1946 - 1951
• Cristiano Ridomi 1951 - 1954
• Antonio Carrelli 1954 - 1961
• Novello Papafava 1961 - 1964
• Pietro Quaroni 1964 - 1968
• Aldo Sandulli 1968 - 1970
• Umberto delle Fave 1970 - 1975
• Beniamino Finocchiaro 23 maggio 1975 - 20 gennaio 1977
• Paolo Grassi 20 gennaio 1977 - 12 giugno 1980
• Sergio Zavoli 12 giugno 1980 - 23 ottobre 1986
• Enrico Manca 23 ottobre 1986 - 19 febbraio 1992
• Walter Pedullà 19 febbraio 1992 - 13 luglio 1993
• Claudio Demattè 13 luglio 1993 - 12 luglio 1994
• Letizia Moratti 13 luglio 1994 - 24 aprile 1996
• Giuseppe Morello 24 aprile 1996 - 10 luglio 1996
• Vincenzo Siciliano 10 luglio 1996 - 21 gennaio 1998
• Roberto Zaccaria 3 febbraio 1998 - 17 febbraio 2000 e 17 febbraio 2000 - 16 febbraio 2002
• Vittorio Emiliani 16 febbraio - 22 febbraio 2002
• Antonio Baldassarre 5 marzo 2002 - 26 febbraio 2003
• Paolo Mieli 7 marzo - 13 marzo 2003
• Lucia Annunziata 13 marzo 2003 - 4 maggio 2004
• Claudio Petruccioli 31 luglio 2005

Directors-general of RAI

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

• RAI Sat Extra
• RAI Sat Premium
• RAI Sat CinemaWorld
• RAI Sat Gambero Rosso
• RAI Sat Ragazzi
• RAI News 24

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

See also

• List of Italian language television channels