RAI
File:RAI logo.svg | |
Company type | Government-owned corporation |
---|---|
Genre | Italian Public Broadcasting Service |
Founded | 1924 |
Founder | Italian Government |
Headquarters | , |
Revenue | €3144 million (2006)[1] |
Owner | Min. of Economy & Finance |
Number of employees | 13248 (2008)[2] |
Divisions | Rai Cinema Rai Corporation Rai Way Sipra Rai Trade Rai Net Rai Click Rai Teche Rai Fiction Rai Eri Rai Vaticano Rai Quirinale Rai Sat (95% RAI - 5% RCS MediaGroup) |
Website | rai.it rai.tv |
Rai - Radiotelevisione Italiana, known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane,[3] is the Italian public service broadcaster, the biggest television company in Italy. It operates many television channels and radio stations, broadcasting in analog terrestrial (until 2013), in digital terrestrial and in several satellite and IPTV offerings. RAI is one of the 23 founding broadcasting organisations of the European Broadcasting Union in 1950.
Half of RAI's revenues come from the broadcast licence fee, half from advertising.[4][5] RAI has a relatively high audience share of 43.55%[6].
RAI broadcasts three main terrestrial channels: Rai Uno, Rai Due and Rai Tre.
Due to its close proximity, Albania, Switzerland, Monaco, Malta, San Marino, Vatican City, Slovenia and Croatia also receive broadcasts.
History
Origins
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 24 October of that year.
In 1927, URI was renamed Ente Italiano Audizioni Radiofoniche (EIAR). It survived until 1944 when, under Allied pressure, it was reborn as Radio Audizioni Italiane, or RAI. Still a privately owned company, it operated two radio networks: Rete Rossa (red network) and Rete Azzurra (blue network), with Rossa playing more serious music and Azzurra featuring occasional variety shows.
It was not until 1954 that RAI took on its 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 in Milan, sporting events of the day, and an early evening film.[citation needed]
Parts of the early programming was focused on educational content: during the reconstruction following World War II, programs like Non è mai troppo tardi and Un viaggio al Po made people see what life was like in other parts of Italy, in a time when tourism was out of the reach of the vast majority of the population.
2000s
A very controversial plan to partly privatise RAI, by selling 20% of the public broadcaster, was suspended in October 2005.
The fact that the Berlusconi-led government pushed for the sale of Mediaset's public service rival caused a very heated debate, with some critics claiming that Mediaset could become the buyer and thus increase its dominant position even further. However, in October 2005 it was announced that the privatisation plan had been suspended, following the revelation that the company would make a loss of €80m ($96m, £54m) during 2006.[citation needed] "RAI's privatisation is de facto suspended", its new director general, Alfredo Meocci, told a parliamentary watchdog committee.[7][8]
Management
RAI is governed by a nine member Administrative Council. Seven of its nine members are elected by a parliamentary committee, the remaining two (one of which the President) are nominated by the largest shareholder: the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance. 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
Name | Took office | Left office |
---|---|---|
Arturo Carlo Jemolo | April 20, 1945 | August 9, 1946 |
Giuseppe Spataro | August 9, 1946 | May 17, 1951 |
Cristiano Ridomi | May 17, 1951 | March 11, 1954 |
Antonio Carrelli | June 3, 1954 | January 4, 1961 |
Novello Papafava | January 4, 1961 | March 25, 1964 |
Pietro Quaroni | May 29, 1964 | April 12, 1969 |
Aldo Sandulli | April 23, 1969 | February 18, 1970 |
Umberto delle Fave | March 24, 1970 | April 22, 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 |
Enzo Siciliano | July 10, 1996 | January 21, 1998 |
Roberto Zaccaria | February 3, 1998 | February 17, 2000 |
Roberto Zaccaria 1 | February 17, 2000 | February 16, 2002 |
Vittorio Emiliani | February 16, 2002 | February 22, 2002 |
Antonio Baldassarre | March 5, 2002 | February 26, 2003 |
Paolo Mieli | March 7, 2003 | March 13, 2003 |
Lucia Annunziata | March 13, 2003 | May 4, 2004 |
Francesco Alberoni 2 | May, 2004 | May, 2005 |
Sandro Curzi 2 | June 1, 2005 | July 30, 2005 |
Claudio Petruccioli | July 31, 2005 | present |
General Directors
Name | Took office | Left office |
---|---|---|
Salvino Sernesi | 1949 | 1953 |
Giovan Battista Vicentini | 1954 | 1955 |
Rodolfo Arata | 1956 | 1960 |
Ettore Bernabei | January 5, 1961 | September 18, 1974 |
Michele Principe | May 23, 1975 | January 25, 1977 |
Giuseppe Glisenti | January 26, 1977 | June 17, 1977 |
Pierantonino Bertè | July 12, 1977 | June 18, 1980 |
Villy De Luca | June 19, 1980 | July 21, 1982 |
Biagio Agnes | July 29, 1982 | February 1, 1990 |
Gianni Pasquarelli | February 5, 1990 | July 23, 1993 |
Gianni Locatelli | July 23, 1993 | August 3, 1994 |
Gianni Billia | August 3, 1994 | December 31, 1994 |
Raffaele Minicucci | January 16, 1995 | February 29, 1996 |
Aldo Materia 3 | March 6, 1996 | July 15, 1996 |
Franco Iseppi | July 15, 1996 | February 8, 1998 |
Pier Luigi Celli | February 9, 1998 | February 17, 2002 |
Pier Luigi Celli 1 | February 17, 2000 | February 9, 2001 |
Claudio Cappon | February 9, 2001 | March 19, 2002 |
Agostino Saccà | March 19, 2002 | March 27, 2003 |
Flavio Cattaneo | March 27, 2003 | August 5, 2005 |
Alfredo Meocci | August 5, 2005 | June 20, 2006 |
Claudio Cappon | June 22, 2006 | present |
Notes:
Template:Fnb Second term.
Template:Fnb Temporary.
Template:Fnb Vice Director-general acting as Director-general.
Television
RAI broadcasts three main terrestrial channels, also available on satellite television. Rai Uno, the main channel, targets the family market. Rai Due, that has broadcasted since November 4, 1961 as the "Secondo Programma", has in recent years lacked clear focus, but now attempts to focus on a slightly younger audience than Rai Uno. Rai Tre (on air from December 15, 1979 as "TV3") is the ‘alternative’ channel, with a definite public service remit. Rai Uno and Rai Due started full-time color broadcasting on February 1, 1977.
Terrestrial channels
The following channels are also available in digital terrestrial and satellite television:
|
Digital-only channels:
[1]: also available on satellite television |
Satellite channels
Free-to-air
|
Subscription-based
|
IPTV channels
|
On Tiscali TV
|
|
International
- Raitalia: broadcasts the best of RAI to International audiences
Discontinued Channels
- RaiSat Album (30 July 2003)
- RaiSat Art (30 July 2003)
- RaiSat Fiction (30 July 2003)
- Rai Azzurri: UEFA Euro 2004 (2004, broadcasted using Rai Olimpia / Rai Utile frequencies)
- Rai Doc: cultures, styles (31 May 2007)
- Rai Futura: technologies, games, etc. (1 February 2007, broadcasted on the same frequences of Rai Doc at settled times)
- Rai Olimpia: 2004 Summer Olympics (2004, broadcasted using Rai Utile frequencies)
- Rai Utile (1 January 2008)
- Rai Widescreen: 1998 FIFA World Cup (1999)
Radio channels
- Rai Radio 1: News/information
- Rai Radio 2: Adult Contemporary
- Rai Radio 3: classical music
- Rai FD4 Leggera: easy listening music, also known as IV Canale
- Rai FD5 Auditorium: classic and opera music, also known as V Canale or Classica
- Rai GR Parlamento: broadcasting the Italian Parliament
- Rai Isoradio: for motorway users
- Rai Sender Bozen: in German, only in the province of Bolzano-Bozen
- Radio Trst A: in Slovenian, only in Friuli-Venezia Giulia
- Notturno Italiano: for the Italian communities in the EU
- Rai Satelradio: International radio service that broadcasts 'best of RAI' abroad.
News
- TG 1 - Telegiornale Uno
- TG 2 - Telegiornale Due
- TG 3 - Telegiornale Tre
- TG Regionale
- Tagesschau (in German language)
- GR 1 (Radio)
- GR 2 (Radio)
- GR 3 (Radio)
- GR Regionale (Radio, Local)
See also
- Television in Italy
- Television licensing in Italy
- Digital terrestrial television in Italy
- Prix Italia
Footnotes
- ^ "RAI Annual Report 2006" Template:En icon Retrieved on 2008-06-16
- ^ "Rai, l'orgia del potere" Template:It icon L'espresso, Retrieved on 2008-07-09
- ^ La radio in Italia cronologia Template:It icon Retrieved on 2007-11-28
- ^ "Basta con il governo padrone, così cambierà la Tv pubblica" Template:It icon Retrieved on 2007-10-10
- ^ " DDL Riforma Rai" Template:It icon Italian Ministry of Communications, Retrieved on 2007-10-10
- ^ ::: RAI - Bilancio 2005 ::: Template:It icon Retrieved on 2007-12-29
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]