Chris Hanretty

'rai' Category

• Oct

  04

  2009

  Astonishing editorial from Minzolini

  One of the strange parts of Italian television news — at least for those who come from Britain — is that the directors of the principal television news broadcasts often do direct-to-camera editorials.
  To me, the idea of an editorial seems to be an abandonment of the classical doctrine of impartiality, as espoused by most other [...]

  posted in impartiality, journalists, minzolini, rai by Chris

• Feb

  19

  2009

  New board for Rai

  Now that Sergio Zavoli has finally been appointed President of the parliamentary committee which supervises Rai, the committee has been able to get to work. The committee’s most important task is appointing seven of the nine members of the board of Rai, which it has now done. The seven names, with their presumed party affiliations [...]

  posted in appointments, rai by Chris

• Jan

  30

  2009

  Proposal to abolish the parliamentary commission supervising Rai

  An excellent proposal from an unlooked-for source: Marco Follini (PD, ex-UDC) and Riccardo Conti (PdL) have proposed to abolished the parliamentary committee which currently supervises Rai and nominates its board.
  I’m not opposed to supervision of public service broadcasters, but the level of supervision must be closely watched. The Italian parliamentary commission – the Vigilanza — [...]

  posted in cpiv, italy, rai, vigilanza by Chris

• Nov

  06

  2008

  Why hasn’t the left done more about Berlusconi’s conflict of interest?

  Assume that the left hasn’t done that much to tackle the issue of Berlusconi’s conflict of interest. Why not?
  One explanation might be that many parties within the broad left-wing coalitions, and many individuals within Italian politics more generally, are inclined to forgive past crimes in order to make life easier or to avoid division.
  This is [...]

  posted in berlusconi, conflict of interest, ginsborg, italy, rai, referendum by Chris

• Nov

  06

  2008

  True twelve years ago, true today

  From Matt Frei’s Italy: The Unfinished Revolution (Sinclair-Stevenson, London, 1996):
  “The… consequence of appointing news editors because they represent the right faction rather than the right qualifications is simply that the quality of much of the broadcasting on Rai is sloppy and substandard. News footage tends to look as shaky and out of focus as a [...]

  posted in frei, rai by Chris

• Jun

  11

  2008

  Reduction in the Rai licence fee?

  ADNKronos has learned that the PdL is preparing to deposit in the Senate draft legislation to reduce the licence fee for Rai. “Objectively”, said Senator Alessio Butti, member of the parliamentary watchdog commission, “the licence fee is extremely high. But it’s a tax, and as such should be paid. More than abolition, therefore, it’s possible [...]

  posted in funding, licence fee, rai by Chris

• Jun

  02

  2008

  A single news team for Rai: politicians opposed (still in the eighties)

  From the wonderful (recently extended) Repubblica archive:
  “Epoca carried out a survey on lottizzazione in Rai, asking 79 parliamentariansof various parties whether they would look favourably on an overhaul of the party-based division of the three networks and three news bulletins. The noes won: 48 of 100 parliamentarians preferred that things remained as they are, whilst [...]

  posted in italy, lottizzazione, pluralismo, rai by Chris

• Jun

  02

  2008

  Veltroni speaks sense (’85 version)

  There have been a number of stories recently – and some polling evidence – concerning Walter Veltroni’s leadership of the PD. I wouldn’t like to give an all-encompassing judgement, but he’s a short quote to show that on his favourite topics – cinema and communications – he was bang on the money. Speaking of Rai [...]

  posted in italy, petruccioli, pluralismo, rai, veltroni by Chris

• May

  28

  2008

  Saving ReteQuattro, kicking Rai into the long-grass

  After packing a previously uncontroversial bill full with measures that would help Retequattro avoid a move to satellite, the government yesterday lost a vote on one of the provisions contained there, on bird protection, of all things.
  Gioacchino Alfano, justice minister, has now promised to listen to the opposition’s concerns about Retequattro. Quite what this means [...]

  posted in appointments, cappon, italy, rai, retequattro by Chris

• May

  14

  2008

  Agcom opens a case against Rai

  The sectoral watchdog Agcom has opened a case against Rai for presumed violations of the broadcasting law (legge Gasparri) in the ongoing Travaglio case. The authority cites two grounds for their decision: the commitment to protection of fundamental rights (article 4), and the commitment to honouring the service contract (article 48).
  I find it hard to [...]

  posted in agcom, italy, rai, rules, travaglio by Chris