RAI

Rai — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A.
Spa (State Owned)
Industry Media
Genre TV Broadcasting
Founded 1924 (1924) (as URI), 1944 (1944) (as RAI), 1954 (1954) (as RAI Spa)
Founder Government of Italy
Headquarters Rome, Italy
Area served
 Italy
Key people
 Mario Orfeo (CEO),
Monica Maggioni (Chairman)
Revenue Increase €2.4 billion (2014)[1]
Increase €257 million (2014)[1]
Increase €48 million (2014)[1]
Owner Ministry of Economy and Finance
Number of employees
 11635 (2014)[1]
Subsidiaries
  • Rai Corporation
  • Rai Way
  • Rai Pubblicità S.p.A.
  • Rai Com S.p.A.
  • RaiNet S.p.A.
  • Rai Cinema S.p.A.
  • 01 Distribution S.r.l.
Website Rai.it
RaiPlay

The RAI (full name Rai – Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. (pronounced [ˈrai ˌradjoteleviˈzjoːne itaˈljaːna];[2] commercially styled Rai; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane)[3] is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

The RAI operates many DVB and Sat television channels and radio stations, broadcasting via digital terrestrial transmission (15 television and 7 radio channels nationwide) and from several satellite platforms. It is the biggest television broadcaster in Italy and competes with Mediaset, and other minor television and radio networks. The RAI has a relatively high television audience share of 33.8%.[4]

RAI broadcasts are also received in neighboring countries, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, San Marino, Slovenia, Vatican City, Switzerland, and Tunisia, and elsewhere on cable and satellite. Sometimes Rai 1 was received even further in Europe via Sporadic E until the digital switch off in July 2012.

Half of the RAI's revenues come from broadcast receiving licence fees, the rest from the sale of advertising time.[5][6]

In 1950, the RAI became one of the 23 founding broadcasting organizations of the European Broadcasting Union.

History

1924

The Unione Radiofonica Italiana (URI) was formed in 1924 with the backing of the Marconi Company following a model adopted in other European countries. URI made its inaugural broadcast — a speech by Benito Mussolini at Teatro Costanzi — on 5 October. Regular programming began the following evening, with a quartet performing Haydn's Quartet No. 7 in A major from the Palazzo Corradi. At 21.00 CET, Ines Donarelli Viviani announced for the first time: "URI—Unione Radiofonica Italiana Rome station 1RO 425 meters wavelength. To all those who are listening our greetings, good evening."[7] Guglielmo Marconi's S.A. Radiofono—Società Italiana per le Radiocomunicazioni Circolari (Radiofono) held 85% of URI shares and Western Electric's Società Italiana Radio Audizioni Circolari (SIRAC) held the remaining 15%.

Under the provisions of Royal Decree No. 1067 of 8 February 1923, wireless broadcasting became a state monopoly under the control of the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs; URI was commissioned to provide services for a minimum of six years pursuant to Royal Decree No. 2191 of 14 October 1924 "Concessione dei servizi radioauditivi circolari alla Società Anonima Unione Radiofonica Italiana".[8] However, when URI's contract expired in 1927, it was succeeded under Royal Decree Law No. 2207 of 17 November 1927 by the partially nationalised Ente Italiano per le Audizioni Radiofoniche (EIAR), which became Radio Audizioni Italiane S.p.A. (RAI) with investment from Società Idroelettrica Piemontese (SIP) in 1944.

1940's

During the reconstruction following World War II, much of RAI's early programming was influenced by the "Reithian" style of the BBC. The emphasis was on educational content. Programs like Non è mai troppo tardi and Un viaggio al Po introduced people to what life was like in other parts of the country, at a time when most people couldn't afford to travel.

Over the following years the RAI made various changes to its services. It reorganized its radio stations in November 1946 into two national networks, Rete Rossa and Rete Azzurra ("Red Network" and "Blue Network"). It added the culture-based Terzo Programma in October 1950. On 1 January 1952 the Rete Rossa became the Programma Nazionale (focusing on informational content) and the Rete Azzurra became the Secondo Programma (with a greater emphasis on entertainment). The three radio channels eventually became today's Rai Radio 1, Rai Radio 2, and Rai Radio 3.

1950's

In 1954 the state-owned holding company Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale (IRI) became the sole shareholder and RAI – now renamed RAI—Radiotelevisione italiana to reflect its extended responsibilities – finally began a regular television service. On 3 January at 11.00 CET, the first RAI television announcer presented the day's schedule, which was broadcast from the service's Milan headquarters and relay stations in Turin and Rome. At 14.30, the first regular programme in Italian television history was broadcast: Arrivi e partenze, hosted by Armando Pizzo and Mike Bongiorno. The evening's entertainment was a theatre performance, L'osteria della posta, written by Carlo Goldoni. 23.15 saw the start of the day's concluding programme, La Domenica Sportiva – the first edition of a weekly series which continues to this day.[9]

2000's

Management

RAI was originally the subsidiary of RAI Holding S.p.A. RAI Holding was absorbed into RAI as of 1 December 2004, per Article 21 of Law 112/04.

Rai Logo, 1987-2000

The RAI is governed by a nine-member Administrative Council. Seven of members are elected by a committee of the Italian Parliament. The other two (one of which is the President) are nominated by the largest shareholder: the Ministry of Economic Development. The Council appoints the Director-General. The Director-General and the members of the Administrative Council are appointed for a renewable three-year term. In 2005, the government of Silvio Berlusconi proposed partial privatization of RAI by selling 20% ownership. This proposal was very controversial, in part because Berlusconi was the head of the leading private broadcaster Mediaset. Some critics claimed that Mediaset could become the buyer and thus increase its dominant position. However, after the revelation that RAI would lose €80m ($96m, £54m) in 2006, the privatization plan was suspended in October 2005.[10][11]

2010's

On 17 May 2010, Raisat received a major upgrade and re-branded with a new logo and a new name. It and all of the sister channels dropped the sat part from the name and became Rai YoYo, Rai 5 (formerly known as Rai Extra), Rai Premium, and Rai Movie (formerly known as Raisat Cinema).

Rai Logo 2010-date

On June 11, 2013, the RAI was one of the few known European broadcasters to condemn and criticize the closure of Greece's state broadcaster ERT.

Criticism

RAI company has been criticized because as of 2015 it had 46 directors and 262 head offices and they are considered too many; RAI Spa is a private company but it's 100% owned by the Italian Government and subscribers have to pay an annual tax of 100 euros.

RAI Spa company is 99% owned by the Italian Government Ministry of Economy and Finance, so it is said that it broadcasts content that may politically influence people.[12][13]

Debt Level

As March 2015, the RAI has a debt of 442 million euros and the Italian "Corte dei Conti" (an Italian public finance examination institution).[14]

RAI mandatory annual fee on all televisions in Italy

Italians must purchase an annual television license for about €100 every year in order to legally own a TV or HDTV. It is known as Canone Rai, "Rai Tax" because it is used to part-fund the RAI.

TV channels

Current channels

Logo Channel LCN on DVB-T Broadcast Launched Description
 Rai 1 1 National DTV
Satellite		 January 3, 1954 generalist
 Rai 2 2 National DTV
Satellite		 November 4, 1961 generalist
 Rai 3 3 National DTV
Satellite		 December 15, 1979 generalist
 Rai 4 21 National DTV
Satellite		 July 14, 2008 TV series, movies and shows
 Rai 5 23 National DTV
Satellite		 November 26, 2010 culture, music, documentaries
 Rai Gulp 42 National DTV
Satellite		 June 1, 2007 kids/teens
 Rai Movie 24 National DTV
Satellite		 July 1, 1999 movies
 Rai News24 48 National DTV
Satellite		 April 26, 1999 all news
 Rai Premium 25 National DTV
Satellite		 July 31, 2003 fiction
 Rai Scuola 146 National DTV
Satellite		 October 19, 2009 educational
 Rai Sport 58 National DTV
Satellite		 February 1, 1999 sports
 Rai Storia 54 National DTV
Satellite		 February 2, 2009 history
 Rai Yoyo 43 National DTV
Satellite		 November 1, 2006 kids
 Rai 1 HD 501 National DTV
Satellite		 October 25, 2013 HD version of Rai 1
 Rai 2 HD 502 National DTV
Satellite		 October 25, 2013 HD version of Rai 2
 Rai 3 HD 503 National DTV
Satellite		 October 25, 2013 HD version of Rai 3
 Rai 4 HD 521 National DTV
Satellite		 January 22, 2016 HD version of Rai 4
 Rai 5 HD 113 Tivùsat September 19, 2016 HD version of Rai 5
 Rai Movie HD 114 Tivùsat May 26, 2016 HD version of Rai Movie
 Rai Premium HD 525 National DTV
Satellite		 May 26, 2016 HD version of Rai Premium
 Rai Sport + HD 57 National DTV
Satellite		 September 14, 2015 HD version of Rai Sport
 Rai 4K 210 Tivùsat June 17, 2016 Ultra Definition channel
 Rai Italia International
Satellite		 January 1, 1992 reaching out overseas Italians
 Rai World Premium International
Satellite		 Italian culture
 Rai Ladinia Regional Ladin language channel in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
 Rai Südtirol Regional German language channel in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
 Rai 3 BIS FJK 103 Regional 1995 Slovenian language channel in Friuli-Venezia Giulia/Furlanija Julijska Krajina

Discontinued channels

Radio channels

FM, AM, Satellite, DAB/DAB+, DTT, Filodiffusion, Web:

Discontinued channels

On demand service

Headquarters and offices

Seat Centers of television production Auditoriums/theatres Studios
Rome CPTV Via Teulada, 66 9
Rome CP Saxa Rubra 16
Rome Studi Dear, Via Ettore Romagnoli, 30 6
Rome Teatro delle Vittorie 1 theatre
Rome RAI Auditorium of Foro Italico 1 auditorium
Milan CP corso Sempione, 27 3 auditoriums 5
Milan East End Studios via Mecenate, 76 4
Naples CP Viale Marconi, 9 1 auditorium 7
Turin CP via Verdi, 16 1 auditorium 6
Turin Grattacielo Rai Corso Bolzano 5
Palermo CP Viale Strasburgo, 19 4

Local offices

Foreign offices

There are RAI offices in foreign countries, which produce news reports that are broadcast live in Italy. These offices are in: Brussels, Paris, Berlin, London, New York City, Beijing, Cairo, Jerusalem, Nairobi, Moscow, Rio de Janeiro.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 (in English) Retrieved on 13-01-2016
  2. ↑ Il Grupo Rai - La struttura aziendale
  3. ↑ Originally a distinction was made in Italian between wireless telegraphy (radiofonia) and wireless telephony (radioaudizione circolare). The latter term has now fallen into disuse. La radio in Italia cronologia (in Italian) Retrieved on 2007-11-28
  4. ↑ "Ascolti tv 2013 - Predominio Rai con Rai1 - DavideMaggio.it". DavideMaggio.it. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  5. ↑ "Basta con il governo padrone, così cambierà la Tv pubblica" (in Italian) Retrieved on 2007-10-10
  6. ↑ " DDL Riforma Rai" (in Italian) Italian Ministry of Communications, Retrieved on 2007-10-10
  7. ↑ The Origins of radio broadcasting in Italy Comitato Guglielmo Marconi International (retrieved 27 November 2011)
  8. ↑ Gazzetta Ufficiale No. 11 of 15 January 1925 pp. 164-167
  9. ↑ retrieved on 2009-06-21 (in Italian)
  10. ↑ "RAI's privatisation is de facto suspended", its new director general, Alfredo Meocci, told a parliamentary watchdog committee.
  11. ↑ "Berlusconi halts plan to sell off state broadcaster". Financial Times. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  12. ↑ "Il pubblico in fuga da una Rai faziosa". Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  13. ↑ ""Rai faziosa" Brunetta lancia l’osservatorio online". Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  14. ↑ "Corte dei Conti, alert sul debito della Rai". Repubblica.it. 13 March 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2015.

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