RAI

RAI (Radio Audizioni Italiane) is an 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. 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. RAI has the highest audience share (43%) of any public service broadcaster in Western Europe, with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s media conglumerate Mediaset being the main competitor with a 44% market share. The fact that Berlusconi's government is pushing for a sale of Mediaset's public service rival has 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. "RAI's privatisation is de facto suspended," its new director general, Alfredo Meocci, told a parliamentary watchdog committee. [1] [2]

1 Early history
2 Management
- 2.1 Presidents of RAI
- 2.2 Directors-general of RAI
3 Television
4 Satellite television channels
5 Radio channels
6 Television channels
7 See also
8 External links

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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 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 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	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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