RAI
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
RAI (RAI-Radiotelevisione Italiana and previously known as Radio Audizioni Italiane) 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. Created as URI in 1924, it started television broadcasts on January 3, 1954. RAI was one of the 23 founding broadcasting organisations of the European Broadcasting Union in 1950.
A very controversial plan to partly privatise RAI, by selling 20% of the public broadcaster, was suspended in October 2005.
Half of RAI's revenues come from the broadcast licence fee, half from advertising.[citation needed] RAI has the highest audience share (43%) of any public service broadcaster in Western Europe,[citation needed] because the only serious competitor on Italian television is Silvio Berlusconi’s media conglomerate Mediaset with a 44% market share. The fact that Berlusconi's government pushed for a sale of Mediaset's public service rival had caused a very heated debate, with some of the 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. [1] [2]
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[edit] Early history
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.
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 and Rete Azzurra, with Rossa playing more serious music and Azzura 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]
The first few decades of programming were focused on strictly educational programming. During Reconstruction, programs like Non è mai troppo tardi and Un viaggo al Po were able to take people from their villages and small communities and see what life was like in other parts of Italy. The dialects of Italy also made it difficult for people to communicate, so RAI was instrumental in building a national, common language.
[edit] 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 Ministero delle Finanze. The Council appoints the director-general. Both director-general and members of the administrative council are appointed for a renewable term of three years.
[edit] Presidents of RAI
[1] Second term
[2] Temporary
[edit] Directors-general of RAI
| 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 [1] | March 6, 1996 | July 15, 1996 |
| Franco Iseppi | July 15, 1996 | February 8, 1998 |
| Pier Luigi Celli | February 9, 1998 | February 17, 2000 |
| Pier Luigi Celli [2] | 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 |
[1] Vice Director-general acting as Director-general
[2] Second term
[edit] Television
RAI broadcasts three main terrestrial channels. Rai Uno is the main channel, and targets the family market. Rai Due has in recent years lacked clear focus, but now attempts to focus on a slightly younger audience than RaiUno. Rai Tre is the ‘alternative’ channel, with a definite public service remit. Rai Due has been broadcasting since November 4, 1961 (it was called the "Secondo Programma", while Rai Uno was the "Programma Nazionale") and Rai Tre first went on air on December 15, 1979 as "TV3".
[edit] Terrestrial channels
[edit] Analogic
- Rai Uno (also on DTT and on satellite)
- Rai Due (also on DTT and on satellite)
- Rai Tre (also on DTT and on satellite)
[edit] Digital
- Rai News 24 all news (also on satellite)
- Rai Sport Sat sport (also on satellite)
- Rai Utile information (also on satellite)
- Rai Doc - Futura technology (also on satellite)
- Rai Edu 1 education, culture and entertainment (also on satellite)
[edit] Satellite channels
[edit] Free-to-air
- Rai News 24
- Rai Sport Sat
- Rai Utile
- Rai Doc - Futura
- Rai Edu 1
- Rai Edu 2
- Rai Nettuno Sat 1
- Rai Nettuno Sat 2
- Rai Med
- Camera dei Deputati Channel
- Senato Italiano
[edit] On Sky Italia
- RaiSat Extra entertainment
- RaiSat Premium entertainment
- RaiSat Cinema cinema
- RaiSat Gambero Rosso Channel cooking
- RaiSat Smash teens
- RaiSat Yoyo babies (from November)
[edit] International
- RAI International — Broadcasts the best of RAI to International audiences
[edit] Radio channels
- RAI Radio1
- RAI Radio2
- RAI Radio3
- Gr Parlamento - a radio station broadcasting the Italian Parliament
- Isoradio - a radio station designed for motorway users
- Radio Trst A - a radio station for the Slovenian minority in Friuli-Venezia Giulia
- FD Auditorium
- FD Classica (also known as IV Canale) - broadcasting classic and opera music
[edit] News
- TG 1
- TG 2
- TG 3
- TG Regional
- Tagesschau (German speaking news from Bolzano)
- Meteo
- Sports
[edit] Other programmes
- Sanremo Music Festival (Festival della canzone italiana)
- Uno Mattina — morning magazine programme (RaiUno)
- Affari Tuoi (Italian version of Deal or No Deal?) - shown from Monday to Saturday on Rai Uno.
- Domenica In — Sunday show (RaiUno)
- Club Disney — shown on RaiDue
- Winx Club — since exported worldwide
- The Rat-Man Animated Series
[edit] Foreign Series
- McLeod's Daughters - shown on Rai Uno
- ER — shown on Rai Due
- Friends — shown on Rai Due
- The District — shown on Rai Due
- Charmed — 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
- NCIS — shown on Rai Due
- Cold Case — shown on Rai Due
- Lost — shown on Rai Due
- Rome — shown on Rai Due
[edit] 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
- Dallas (TV series) - shown on RAI Sat Premium
- Mujeres - shown on RAI Sat Premium
