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
| Name | Took office | Left office |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | May 23, 1975 | January 20, 1977 |
| Paolo Grassi | January 20, 1977 | June 12, 1980 |
| Sergio Zavoli | June 12, 1980 | October 23, 1986 |
| Enrico Manca | October 23, 1986 | February 19, 1992 |
| Walter Pedullà | February 19, 1992 | July 13, 1993 |
| Claudio Demattè | July 13, 1993 | July 12, 1994 |
| Letizia Moratti | July 12, 1994 | April 24, 1996 |
| Giuseppe Morello | April 24, 1996 | July 10, 1996 |
| Vincenzo Siciliano | July 10, 1996 | January 21, 1998 |
| Roberto Zaccaria | February 3, 1998 | February 17, 2000 |
| Roberto Zaccaria | February 17, 2000 | February 16, 2002 |
| Vittorio Emiliani | February 16 | February 22, 2002 |
| Antonio Baldassarre | March 5, 2002 | February 26, 2003 |
| Paolo Mieli | March 7 | March 13, 2003 |
| Lucia Annunziata | March 13, 2003 | May 4, 2004 |
| Claudio Petruccioli | July 31, 2005 | present |
Directors-general of RAI
| Name | Took office | Left office |
|---|
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