RAI

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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 January 3, 1954. Formerly a publicly-owned company, it is now undergoing a lengthy process of part-privatization. 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.

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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.

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 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 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.

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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.

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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 [1] 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, 2003 March 13, 2003
Lucia Annunziata March 13, 2003 May 4, 2004
Claudio Petruccioli July 31, 2005 present

[1] Second term

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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 31, 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 present

[1] Vice Director-general acting as Director-general

[2] Second term

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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 and Rai Tre first went on air on December 15, 1979.

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Satellite television channels

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Radio channels

  • Radio1
  • Radio2
  • Radio3
  • Gr Parlamento
  • Isoradio
  • FD Auditorium
  • FD IV Canale
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News

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Other programmes

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Series

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Other satellite TV programmes

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See also

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External links


List of programs broadcast by:
ABC | ABC (Australia) | Adult Swim | A&E | Anime Network | ANT1 | BBC | Cartoon Network | CBC | CBS | CH | CNBC | CNN | CTV | CyBC | Discovery | Discovery Kids | Disney Channel | ERT | Fox | France 2 | Global | GSN | History Channel | MVS Multivisión | Mega | NBC | Nickelodeon | PBS | TLC | TV Azteca | Telemundo | Televisa | UPN | Univisión | The WB
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAI"
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