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Information About

Rai





Company Information

  Company Name RAI - Radiotelevisione italiana Spa
  Company Type Public Company
  Genre Italian Broadcasting Service
  Foundation 1954 <!-- this parameter modifies "Founded" -->
  Founder Rome
  Location City Rome
  Location Country Italy
  Location <!-- this parameter modifies "Headquarters" -->
  Revenue 34 million €
  Num Employees 9900
  Divisions Rai International, Rai corporation, Rai trade, Rai fiction, Rai way
  Slogan "Rai, di tutto di più"
  Homepage raiit


Radiotelevisione Italiana, usually known as '''Rai''', 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 . RAI has a relatively high Audience share of 43%, and its 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. "RAI's privatisation is ''de facto'' suspended", its new director general, Alfredo Meocci, told a parliamentary watchdog committee. [https://registration.ft.com/registration/barrier?referer=http://www.ofcomwatch.co.uk/2005/11/rai-privatization-stopped&location=http%3A//news.ft.com/cms/s/4ff81270-474e-11da-b8e5-00000e2511c8.html
RAI broadcasts three main terrestrial channels: Rai Uno , Rai Due and Rai Tre .


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 24 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.

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.


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.


Presidents of RAI


Second term

Temporary


Directors-general of RAI


Vice Director-general acting as Director-general

Second term


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 Rai Uno. 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".


Terrestrial channels


Analogue




Digital


  • Rai News 24 ''all news'' (also on satellite)

  • Rai Sport Sat ''sport'' (also on satellite)

  • Rai Utile ''information'' (also on satellite)

  • Rai Gulp ''kids and teens'' (also on satellite)

  • Rai Edu 1 ''education, culture and entertainment'' (also on satellite)



Satellite channels


Free-to-air



(Rai Doc disappeared in 31 May 2007 )


On Sky Italia



International



Defunct Channels



RADIO CHANNELS




NEWS

  • ''TG 1''

  • ''TG 2''

  • ''TG 3''

  • ''TG Regional''

  • '' Tagesschau '' (German speaking news from Bolzano )

  • Meteo

  • Sports



OTHER PROGRAMMES



FOREIGN SERIES



OTHER SATELLITE TV PROGRAMMES



SEE ALSO




EXTERNAL LINKS