Television in Italy
Encyclopedia
Television in Italy was introduced in 1939
, when the first experimental broadcasting began. However, this lasted for a very short time: when fascist
Italy
entered World War II in 1940 all the transmission were interrupted, and were resumed in earnest only nine years after the end of the conflict, in 1954
. There are two main national television organisations responsible for most viewing: state-owned RAI
Radiotelevisione italiana (with its three generalist channels), funded by a yearly mandatory licence fee and Mediaset
(owner of generalist stations Canale 5
, Italia 1
and Rete 4
), commercial network founded by current Italian Prime Minister
Silvio Berlusconi
that also holds 50.1% of the Spanish broadcasting firm Mediaset España Comunicación and heads a consortium which owns the television production house Endemol
. Currently La7
is considered as the third major network in Italy, it is owned by Telecom Italia Media
, the media branch of the telephone company Telecom Italia
, which also owns 51% of MTV Italia
. While many other networks are also present, both nationally and locally, RAI
and Mediaset
together, with their six traditional ex analogue stations plus a number of new free to air digital channels, reach 75-80% of the TV ratings, as detailed further below. Apart from these three free to air companies, News Corporation
's satellite pay tv platform Sky Italia
is increasing in viewing and shares, reaching almost 10% of the tv ratings (in 2009 it was also allowed to enter the digital terrestrial market through free station Cielo
).
As with all the other media of Italy, the Italian television industry is widely considered both inside and outside the country to be overtly politicized
. The public broadcaster RAI
is, unlike the BBC
which is controlled by an independent trust
, under direct control of the government; the most important commercial stations in the country are, in turn, owned by the current prime minister. According to a December 2008 poll, only 24% of Italians trust television news programmes, compared unfavourably to the British rate of 38%, making Italy one of only three examined countries where online sources are considered more reliable than television ones for information.
technology is expanding rapidly and now every major network in Italy, including RAI
, Mediaset
and Telecom Italia Media
transmits in DVB-T
format, while continuing analog broadcast until the end of the transition, originally set by law to 31 December 2006 but later pushed back to the end of 2012.
The Berlusconi II Cabinet
started promoting the digital format in December 2003 by granting a public financial contribution for the purchase of a MHP
digital television decoder. Starting from January 2005 Mediaset and Telecom Italia Media started offering pay TV services through a prepaid smartcard, including football games, movies and TV shows. On February 2006, during the 2006 Winter Olympics held in Turin
, RAI experimentally broadcast a number of sport events using a 1080i
signal and H264 coding. The HD signal has been transmitted over the Turin area, using DVB-T hierarchical modulation, and only specially crafted decoders have been able to receive this signal: they were placed in strategical points in the town.
During the UEFA Euro 2008 and the 2008 Summer Olympics, RAI has started experimental High Definition broadcasting on Rai Test HD, available only in Turin, Milan, Rome, Sardinia and Aosta Valley, continuing with the 2008 UCI Road World Championships
and few matches of UEFA Champions League. In July 2008 the European Commission
's directorate for competition expressed concerns on whether the actions taken by the current Italian government will be able to alter the current status of duopoly in the broadcasting market held by RAI and Mediaset Beginning 31 October 2008, in the first region of Italy planned to interrupt analog transmission, Sardinia
, television networks broadcast multiplexes only in digital format. Licence fee payers from the region are entitled to a 50 euros detraction from the price of a digital television decoder or a new, digital-compatible TV set.
pay TV platform is broadcasting from Hotbird satellites. HDTV regular services started in June 2006 under the name SKY HD
, with the broadcasting of the 2006 FIFA World Cup
in High Definition. Additional movie and sport channels are planned for the service. Tivù Sat
, a Free Satellite Service similar to the UK version Freesat
, has been launched in June 2009, ensuring access to national television channels from digital terrestrial television networks. Shareholders include Mediaset
, Telecom Italia Media
and the State Owned Company RAI
.
was a monopolist and the only authorized to broadcast in Italy. Giuseppe Sacchi, a former RAI
editor, launched on April 21, 1971 the first "free" television station, called Telebiella and based in Biella. It started to broadcast on April 6, 1972, devoting primarily to news and information. Immediately the government led by Giulio Andreotti
forced Sacchi to dismantle Telebiella. Later a new law was issued to regulate and allow the cable broadcasting, although with tight limitations: only one cable system for every city and only one TV channel for each system. Cable television remained undeveloped for many years, with the exception of few amatorial project. In the 1990s, first Telecom Italia
and then FASTWEB created Optical fiber
networks and launched their IPTV
offers (however associated by SKY Italia
or Mediaset Premium
subscriptions). IPTV
was the only service to offer Video On Demand
up until 2009.
Timeline of the introduction of television in countries
This is a list of when the first publicly announced television broadcasts occurred in the mentioned countries. Non-public field tests and closed circuit demonstrations are not included....
, when the first experimental broadcasting began. However, this lasted for a very short time: when fascist
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
entered World War II in 1940 all the transmission were interrupted, and were resumed in earnest only nine years after the end of the conflict, in 1954
1954 in television
The year 1954 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1954.-Events:*January 1 – NBC broadcasts the Rose Parade in NTSC color on 21 stations.*January 3 – RAI launched in Italy....
. There are two main national television organisations responsible for most viewing: state-owned RAI
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
Radiotelevisione italiana (with its three generalist channels), funded by a yearly mandatory licence fee and Mediaset
Mediaset
Mediaset S.p.A., known as Gruppo Mediaset in Italian, is an Italian-based media company which is the largest commercial broadcaster in the country...
(owner of generalist stations Canale 5
Canale 5
Canale 5 is an Italian private television network of Mediaset, the media branch of Fininvest. Canale 5 was the first private television network to have a national coverage in Italy in 1980, based on a local channel, TeleMilano 58, founded in 1978....
, Italia 1
Italia 1
Italia 1 is an Italian commercial television channel on the Mediaset network. It is oriented especially at young people.Italia 1 was launched in January 1982 and, originally, was owned by Rusconi; after a few months, however, due to the aggressive dumping practices of Silvio Berlusconi's rival...
and Rete 4
Rete 4
Rete 4 is an Italian television station belonging to the Mediaset network. It is an Italian private commercial TV channel. Rete 4's main news programme is TG4, whose editor-in-chief is Emilio Fede since 1992.-TV Series:...
), commercial network founded by current Italian Prime Minister
Prime minister of Italy
The Prime Minister of Italy is the head of government of the Italian Republic...
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...
that also holds 50.1% of the Spanish broadcasting firm Mediaset España Comunicación and heads a consortium which owns the television production house Endemol
Endemol
Endemol is an international television production and distribution company based in the Netherlands, with subsidiaries and joint ventures in 23 countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Poland,...
. Currently La7
La7
La7 is an Italian television channel owned by Telecom Italia Media and operated by Telecom Italia.-History:In 2001, Lorenzo Pellicioli and Roberto Colaninno, of Telecom Italia announced they had acquired Telemontecarlo, in order to create a strong competitor against the six other national channels...
is considered as the third major network in Italy, it is owned by Telecom Italia Media
Telecom Italia Media
Telecom Italia Media is an Italian commercial television network, founded in Rome, Italy by Seat Pagine Gialle in 2003 and later acquired by Telecom Italia and listed on Italian Stock Exchange.-Overview:...
, the media branch of the telephone company Telecom Italia
Telecom Italia
Telecom Italia is the largest Italian telecommunications company, also active in the media and manufacturing industries. Now a private concern listed on the Borsa Italiana, it was founded in 1994 by the merger of several state-owned telecommunications companies, the most important of which was...
, which also owns 51% of MTV Italia
MTV Italy
MTV Italy is the Italian speaking version of the popular 24 hour music and youth entertainment channel. Unlike its counterparts elsewhere in Europe, MTV Italia is a national channel available free-to-air on terrestrial television since September 1, 1997 and available on digital terrestrial...
. While many other networks are also present, both nationally and locally, RAI
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
and Mediaset
Mediaset
Mediaset S.p.A., known as Gruppo Mediaset in Italian, is an Italian-based media company which is the largest commercial broadcaster in the country...
together, with their six traditional ex analogue stations plus a number of new free to air digital channels, reach 75-80% of the TV ratings, as detailed further below. Apart from these three free to air companies, News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
's satellite pay tv platform Sky Italia
Sky Italia
Sky Italia S.r.l. is an Italian digital satellite television platform owned by News Corporation launched on 1 August 2003, when the former platforms TELE+ and Stream TV merged together...
is increasing in viewing and shares, reaching almost 10% of the tv ratings (in 2009 it was also allowed to enter the digital terrestrial market through free station Cielo
Cielo (TV channel)
Cielo is an Italian television channel broadcast by News Corporation aimed to a young audiences, and available on digital terrestrial and satellite television through Sky Italia...
).
As with all the other media of Italy, the Italian television industry is widely considered both inside and outside the country to be overtly politicized
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
. The public broadcaster RAI
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
is, unlike the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
which is controlled by an independent trust
BBC Trust
The BBC Trust is the governing body of the British Broadcasting Corporation. It is operationally independent of BBC management and external bodies, and aims to act in the best interests of licence fee payers....
, under direct control of the government; the most important commercial stations in the country are, in turn, owned by the current prime minister. According to a December 2008 poll, only 24% of Italians trust television news programmes, compared unfavourably to the British rate of 38%, making Italy one of only three examined countries where online sources are considered more reliable than television ones for information.
Digital terrestrial television
Digital terrestrial televisionDigital terrestrial television
Digital terrestrial television is the technological evolution of broadcast television and advance from analog television, which broadcasts land-based signals...
technology is expanding rapidly and now every major network in Italy, including RAI
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
, Mediaset
Mediaset
Mediaset S.p.A., known as Gruppo Mediaset in Italian, is an Italian-based media company which is the largest commercial broadcaster in the country...
and Telecom Italia Media
Telecom Italia Media
Telecom Italia Media is an Italian commercial television network, founded in Rome, Italy by Seat Pagine Gialle in 2003 and later acquired by Telecom Italia and listed on Italian Stock Exchange.-Overview:...
transmits in DVB-T
DVB-T
DVB-T is an abbreviation for Digital Video Broadcasting — Terrestrial; it is the DVB European-based consortium standard for the broadcast transmission of digital terrestrial television that was first published in 1997 and first broadcast in the UK in 1998...
format, while continuing analog broadcast until the end of the transition, originally set by law to 31 December 2006 but later pushed back to the end of 2012.
The Berlusconi II Cabinet
Berlusconi II Cabinet
The Berlusconi II Cabinet was the 57th cabinet of the Italian Republic, and the first cabinet of the XIV Legislature. It took office following the 2001 elections, and held office from 11 June 2001 until 23 April 2005, a total of 1,412 days, or 3 years, 10 months and 12 days...
started promoting the digital format in December 2003 by granting a public financial contribution for the purchase of a MHP
Multimedia Home Platform
Multimedia Home Platform is an open middleware system standard designed by the DVB project for interactive digital television. The MHP enables the reception and execution of interactive, Java-based applications on a TV-set. Interactive TV applications can be delivered over the broadcast channel,...
digital television decoder. Starting from January 2005 Mediaset and Telecom Italia Media started offering pay TV services through a prepaid smartcard, including football games, movies and TV shows. On February 2006, during the 2006 Winter Olympics held in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, RAI experimentally broadcast a number of sport events using a 1080i
1080i
1080i is the shorthand name for a high-definition television mode. The i means interlaced video; 1080i differs from 1080p, in which the p stands for progressive scan. The term 1080i assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a frame size of 1920×1080 pixels...
signal and H264 coding. The HD signal has been transmitted over the Turin area, using DVB-T hierarchical modulation, and only specially crafted decoders have been able to receive this signal: they were placed in strategical points in the town.
During the UEFA Euro 2008 and the 2008 Summer Olympics, RAI has started experimental High Definition broadcasting on Rai Test HD, available only in Turin, Milan, Rome, Sardinia and Aosta Valley, continuing with the 2008 UCI Road World Championships
2008 UCI Road World Championships
The 2008 UCI Road World Championships took place in Varese, Italy, between September 23 and September 28, 2008. The event consisted of a road race and a time trial for men, women and men under 23.-Medals table:-Events summary:-External links:**...
and few matches of UEFA Champions League. In July 2008 the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
's directorate for competition expressed concerns on whether the actions taken by the current Italian government will be able to alter the current status of duopoly in the broadcasting market held by RAI and Mediaset Beginning 31 October 2008, in the first region of Italy planned to interrupt analog transmission, Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, television networks broadcast multiplexes only in digital format. Licence fee payers from the region are entitled to a 50 euros detraction from the price of a digital television decoder or a new, digital-compatible TV set.
Satellite television
Italy has had digital satellite broadcasts since 1997. Currently SKY ItaliaSky Italia
Sky Italia S.r.l. is an Italian digital satellite television platform owned by News Corporation launched on 1 August 2003, when the former platforms TELE+ and Stream TV merged together...
pay TV platform is broadcasting from Hotbird satellites. HDTV regular services started in June 2006 under the name SKY HD
Sky HD (Italy)
Sky HD is the brand name of the HDTV service launched by Sky Italia on 20 April 2006 in Italy - during 2006 FIFA World Cup - to enable high definition channels on Sky Italia to be viewed...
, with the broadcasting of the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
in High Definition. Additional movie and sport channels are planned for the service. Tivù Sat
Tivù Sat
Tivù sat is a free-to-air digital satellite television platform, launched by the joint venture between RAI, Mediaset and Telecom Italia Media, and serving Italy, Vatican City and the Republic of San Marino....
, a Free Satellite Service similar to the UK version Freesat
Freesat
Freesat is a free-to-air digital satellite television joint venture between the BBC and ITV plc, serving the United Kingdom. The service was formed as a memorandum in 2007 and has been marketed since 6 May 2008...
, has been launched in June 2009, ensuring access to national television channels from digital terrestrial television networks. Shareholders include Mediaset
Mediaset
Mediaset S.p.A., known as Gruppo Mediaset in Italian, is an Italian-based media company which is the largest commercial broadcaster in the country...
, Telecom Italia Media
Telecom Italia Media
Telecom Italia Media is an Italian commercial television network, founded in Rome, Italy by Seat Pagine Gialle in 2003 and later acquired by Telecom Italia and listed on Italian Stock Exchange.-Overview:...
and the State Owned Company RAI
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
.
Cable television
In the 1960s the public television network RAIRAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
was a monopolist and the only authorized to broadcast in Italy. Giuseppe Sacchi, a former RAI
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
editor, launched on April 21, 1971 the first "free" television station, called Telebiella and based in Biella. It started to broadcast on April 6, 1972, devoting primarily to news and information. Immediately the government led by Giulio Andreotti
Giulio Andreotti
Giulio Andreotti is an Italian politician of the now dissolved centrist Christian Democracy party. He served as the 42nd Prime Minister of Italy from 1972 to 1973, from 1976 to 1979 and from 1989 to 1992. He also served as Minister of the Interior , Defense Minister and Foreign Minister and he...
forced Sacchi to dismantle Telebiella. Later a new law was issued to regulate and allow the cable broadcasting, although with tight limitations: only one cable system for every city and only one TV channel for each system. Cable television remained undeveloped for many years, with the exception of few amatorial project. In the 1990s, first Telecom Italia
Telecom Italia
Telecom Italia is the largest Italian telecommunications company, also active in the media and manufacturing industries. Now a private concern listed on the Borsa Italiana, it was founded in 1994 by the merger of several state-owned telecommunications companies, the most important of which was...
and then FASTWEB created Optical fiber
Optical fiber
An optical fiber is a flexible, transparent fiber made of a pure glass not much wider than a human hair. It functions as a waveguide, or "light pipe", to transmit light between the two ends of the fiber. The field of applied science and engineering concerned with the design and application of...
networks and launched their IPTV
IPTV
Internet Protocol television is a system through which television services are delivered using the Internet protocol suite over a packet-switched network such as the Internet, instead of being delivered through traditional terrestrial, satellite signal, and cable television formats.IPTV services...
offers (however associated by SKY Italia
Sky Italia
Sky Italia S.r.l. is an Italian digital satellite television platform owned by News Corporation launched on 1 August 2003, when the former platforms TELE+ and Stream TV merged together...
or Mediaset Premium
Mediaset Premium
Mediaset Premium is an Italian digital terrestrial television service provided by Mediaset. It provides pay tv and pay-per-view services through use of a smart card.-History:...
subscriptions). IPTV
IPTV
Internet Protocol television is a system through which television services are delivered using the Internet protocol suite over a packet-switched network such as the Internet, instead of being delivered through traditional terrestrial, satellite signal, and cable television formats.IPTV services...
was the only service to offer Video On Demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
up until 2009.
See also
- List of television channels in Italy
- List of Italian language television channels
- Television licensing in ItalyTelevision licensing in ItalyAll owners of television equipment are required by Italian law to have a television licence. The licence is used to part-fund the Italian public service broadcaster RAI. The licence fee was introduced for owners of radio sets in 1923, and is currently governed by a law which dates back to 1938...
- Freedom of the press in Italian Republic