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RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A.

Type	Spa (State Owned)
Industry	Media
Genre	TV Broadcasting
Founded	1924; 94 years ago (1924) (as URI), 1944; 74 years ago (1944) (as RAI), 1954; 64 years ago (1954) (as RAI Spa)
Founder	Government of Italy
Headquarters	Rome, Italy
Area served	Italy
Key people	Mario Orfeo (CEO), Monica Maggioni (Chairman)
Revenue	€2.4 billion (2014)[1]
Operating income	€257 million (2014)[1]
Net income	€14 million (2017)[2]
Owner	Ministry of Economy and Finance
Number of employees	11635 (2014)[1]
Subsidiaries	Rai Way Rai Pubblicità S.p.A. Rai Com S.p.A. Rai Cinema S.p.A. 01 Distribution S.r.l.
Website	Rai.it RaiPlay

RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. (pronounced [ˈrai ˌradjoteleviˈzjoːne itaˈljaːna];^[3] commercially styled Rai; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane^[4] is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

The RAI operates many DVB and Sat television channels and radio stations, broadcasting via digital terrestrial transmission (15 television and 7 radio channels nationwide) and from several satellite platforms. It is the biggest television broadcaster in Italy^{[citation needed]} and competes with Mediaset, and other minor television and radio networks. The RAI has a relatively high television audience share of 33.8%.^{[5][better source needed]}

RAI broadcasts are also received in neighboring countries, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, San Marino, Slovenia, Vatican City, Switzerland, and Tunisia, and elsewhere on cable and satellite. Sometimes Rai 1 was received even further in Europe via Sporadic E until the digital switch off in July 2012.

Half of the RAI's revenues come from broadcast receiving licence fees, the rest from the sale of advertising time^[6][7].

In 1950, the RAI became one of the 23 founding broadcasting organizations of the European Broadcasting Union.

History

1924

The Unione Radiofonica Italiana (URI) was formed in 1924 with the backing of the Marconi Company following a model adopted in other European countries. URI made its inaugural broadcast — a speech by Benito Mussolini at Teatro Costanzi — on 5 October. Regular programming began the following evening, with a quartet performing Haydn's Quartet No. 7 in A major from the Palazzo Corradi. At 21.00 CET, Ines Donarelli Viviani announced for the first time: "URI—Unione Radiofonica Italiana Rome station 1RO 425 meters wavelength. To all those who are listening our greetings, good evening."^[8]Guglielmo Marconi's S.A. Radiofono—Società Italiana per le Radiocomunicazioni Circolari (Radiofono) held 85% of URI shares and Western Electric's Società Italiana Radio Audizioni Circolari (SIRAC) held the remaining 15%.

Under the provisions of Royal Decree No. 1067 of 8 February 1923, wireless broadcasting became a state monopoly under the control of the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs; URI was commissioned to provide services for a minimum of six years pursuant to Royal Decree No. 2191 of 14 October 1924 "Concessione dei servizi radioauditivi circolari alla Società Anonima Unione Radiofonica Italiana".^[9] However, when URI's contract expired in 1927, it was succeeded under Royal Decree Law No. 2207 of 17 November 1927 by the partially nationalised Ente Italiano per le Audizioni Radiofoniche (EIAR), which became Radio Audizioni Italiane S.p.A. (RAI) with investment from Società Idroelettrica Piemontese (SIP) in 1944.

1940s

During the reconstruction following World War II, much of RAI's early programming was influenced by the "Reithian" style of the BBC. The emphasis was on educational content. Programs like Non è mai troppo tardi and Un viaggio al Po introduced people to what life was like in other parts of the country, at a time when most people couldn't afford to travel.

Over the following years the RAI made various changes to its services. It reorganized its radio stations in November 1946 into two national networks, Rete Rossa and Rete Azzurra ("Red Network" and "Blue Network"). It added the culture-based Terzo Programma in October 1950. On 1 January 1952 the Rete Rossa became the Programma Nazionale (focusing on informational content) and the Rete Azzurra became the Secondo Programma (with a greater emphasis on entertainment). The three radio channels eventually became today's Rai Radio 1, Rai Radio 2, and Rai Radio 3.

1950s

In 1954 the state-owned holding company Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale (IRI) became the sole shareholder and IRI – now renamed RAI—Radiotelevisione italiana to reflect its extended responsibilities – finally began a regular television service. On 3 January at 11.00 CET, the first RAI television announcer presented the day's schedule, which was broadcast from the service's Milan headquarters and relay stations in Turin and Rome. At 14.30, the first regular programme in Italian television history was broadcast: Arrivi e partenze, hosted by Armando Pizzo and Mike Bongiorno. The evening's entertainment was a theatre performance, L'osteria della posta, written by Carlo Goldoni. 23.15 saw the start of the day's concluding programme, La Domenica Sportiva – the first edition of a weekly series which continues to this day.^[10]

2000s

Management

RAI was originally the subsidiary of RAI Holding S.p.A. RAI Holding was absorbed into RAI
as of 1 December 2004, per Article 21 of Law 112/04.

Rai Logo, 1987-2000

The RAI is governed by a nine-member Administrative Council. Seven of members are elected by a committee of the Italian Parliament. The other two (one of which is the President) are nominated by the largest shareholder: the Ministry of Economic Development. The Council appoints the Director-General. The Director-General and the members of the Administrative Council are appointed for a renewable three-year term.
In 2005, the government of Silvio Berlusconi proposed partial privatization of RAI by
selling 20% ownership. This proposal was very controversial, in part because Berlusconi was the head of the leading private broadcaster Mediaset. Some critics claimed that Mediaset could become the buyer and thus increase its dominant position. However, after the revelation that RAI would lose €80m ($96m, £54m) in 2006, the privatization plan was suspended in October 2005.^[11][12]

2010s

On 18 May 2010, Raisat received a major upgrade and re-branded with a new logo and a new name. It and all of the sister channels dropped the sat part from the name and became Rai YoYo, Rai 5 (formerly known as Rai Extra), Rai Premium, and Rai Movie (formerly known as Raisat Cinema).

Rai Logo 2010-2016

On 11 June 2013, the RAI was one of the few known European broadcasters to condemn and criticize the closure of Greece's state broadcaster ERT.

Criticism

RAI company has been criticized because as of 2015 it had 46 directors and 262 head offices and they are considered too many; RAI Spa is a private company but it's 100% owned by the Italian Government and all the TV owners in Italy have to pay an annual tax of 100 euros.^[13]

RAI Spa company is 99% owned by the Italian Government Ministry of Economy and Finance, so it is said that it broadcasts content that may politically influence people.^[14][15]

Debt Level

As March 2015, the RAI has a debt of 442 million euros and the Italian "Corte dei Conti" (an Italian public finance examination institution) was worried about the dimension of RAI debt for the impact that this may have on Italian people (Italians have to mandatory pay annual 100 € Rai tax in order to own a TV or an HDTV).^[16]

RAI mandatory annual fee on all televisions in Italy

Italians must purchase an annual television license for about €100 every year in order to legally own a TV or HDTV. It is known as Canone Rai, "Rai Tax" because it is used to part-fund the RAI.^[17]

TV channels

Current channels

Logo	Channel	LCN on DVB-T	Broadcast	Launched	Description
	Rai 1	1	National DTV Satellite	3 January 1954	generalist
	Rai 2	2	National DTV Satellite	4 November 1961	generalist
	Rai 3	3	National DTV Satellite	15 December 1979	generalist
	Rai 4	21	National DTV Satellite	14 July 2008	TV series, movies and shows
	Rai 5	23	National DTV Satellite	26 November 2010	culture, music, documentaries
	Rai Gulp	42	National DTV Satellite	1 June 2007	kids/teens
	Rai Movie	24	National DTV Satellite	1 July 1999	movies
	Rai News24	48	National DTV Satellite	26 April 1999	all news
	Rai Premium	25	National DTV Satellite	31 July 2003	fiction
	Rai Scuola	146	National DTV Satellite	19 October 2009	educational
	Rai Sport	58	National DTV Satellite	1 February 1999	sports
	Rai Storia	54	National DTV Satellite	2 February 2009	history
	Rai Yoyo	43	National DTV Satellite	1 November 2006	kids
	Rai 1 HD	501	National DTV Satellite	25 October 2013	HD version of Rai 1
	Rai 2 HD	502	National DTV Satellite	25 October 2013	HD version of Rai 2
	Rai 3 HD	503	National DTV Satellite	25 October 2013	HD version of Rai 3
	Rai 4 HD	521	National DTV Satellite	22 January 2016	HD version of Rai 4
	Rai 5 HD	113	Tivùsat	19 September 2016	HD version of Rai 5
	Rai Movie HD	114	Tivùsat	26 May 2016	HD version of Rai Movie
	Rai Premium HD	525	National DTV Satellite	26 May 2016	HD version of Rai Premium
	Rai Sport + HD	57	National DTV Satellite	14 September 2015	HD version of Rai Sport
	Rai 4K	210	Tivùsat	17 June 2016	Ultra Definition channel
	Rai Italia		International Satellite	1 January 1992	reaching out overseas Italians
	Rai World Premium		International Satellite		Italian culture
	Rai Ladinia		Regional		Ladin language channel in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
	Rai Südtirol		Regional		German language channel in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
	Rai 3 BIS FJK	103	Regional	1995	Slovene language channel in Friuli-Venezia Giulia/Furlanija Julijska Krajina

Discontinued channels

• 
  Rai Azzurri: UEFA Euro 2004 (2004, broadcast using Rai Utile frequencies)


• 
  Rai Doc: cultures, styles (1 April 2004 — 1 June 2007)


• 
  Rai Extra: generalist (31 July 2003 — 26 November 2010)


• 
  Rai Festival (broadcast using Rai Utile frequencies)


• 
  Rai Futura: technologies, games, etc. (30 May 2005 — 1 February 2007, broadcast on the same frequences of Rai Doc at settled times)


• 
  Rai HD (22 April 2008 — 18 September 2016)


• 
  Rai Med (26 April 2001 — April 2014)


• 
  Rai Olimpia: 2004 Summer Olympics (2004, broadcast using Rai Utile frequencies)


• 
  Rai Sport 2 (18 May 2010 — 5 February 2017)


• 
  Rai Sport 2 HD (1 August — 19 September 2016, HD version launched for 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games)


• 
  Rai UniNettuno Sat Uno (1998 — April 2014)


• Rai UniNettuno Sat Due (2003 — 1 February 2009)


• 
  Rai Utile (4 January 2004 — 1 January 2008)


• Rai Widescreen: 1998 FIFA World Cup (1998—1999)


• Rai On Cultura (IPTV)


• Rai On Fiction (IPTV)


• Rai On Fiction Live (IPTV)


• Rai On News (IPTV)


• Rai On Ragazzi (IPTV)


• Rai On Spettacolo (IPTV)


• Rai On Sport (IPTV)


• RaiSat 1 (1997—1999)


• RaiSat 2 (1997—1999)


• RaiSat 3/Educational (1997—2000)


• RaiSat Album (1 June 1999 — 30 July 2003)


• RaiSat Art (1999 — 30 July 2003)


• RaiSat Fiction (2000 — 30 July 2003)


• 
  RaiSat Gambero Rosso Channel (1999 — 31 July 2009)


• RaiSat Ragazzi (1 July 1999 — 31 October 2006)


• RaiSat Show (1 June 1999 — 31 July 2003)


• RaiSat Smash Girls (1 November 2006 — 1 August 2009)

Radio channels

FM, AM, Satellite, DAB/DAB+, DTT, Filodiffusion, Web:

• 
  Rai Radio 1: news and information


• 
  Rai Radio 2: adult contemporary music and conversation


• 
  Rai Radio 3: classical music and culture


• 
  Rai Radio Tutta Italiana: only Italian music


• 
  Rai Radio Classica: classic and opera music


• Rai Radio Techete': featuring items from the radio archives


• Rai Radio Live: live music


• Rai Radio Kids: radiostation for children from 2 to 10 years old


• 
  Rai Gr Parlamento: coverage of proceedings in the Italian Parliament
  


• 
  Rai Isoradio: for motorway users


• Rai Radio 1 Sport: sport


• Rai Radio 2 Indie: indipendent music


• 
  Rai Südtirol: German-language programmes for the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region


• 
  Rai Radio Trst A: Slovene-language programmes for the Friuli-Venezia Giulia/Furlanija Julijska Krajina region

Discontinued channels

• RadioStereoDue (1982—1991)


• RadioVerdeRai (1991—1994)


• 
  Rai Italia Radio (1 July 1930 — 31 December 2011)


• Rai Radio 8 Opera (6 August 2015 — 11 June 2017)

On demand service

• RaiPlay

Headquarters and offices

Local offices

• 
  North-West: Genoa, Saint Christophe
  


• 
  North-East: Bologna, Bolzano, Trento, Trieste, Venice
  


• 
  Centre: Ancona, Florence, Perugia, Pescara
  


• 
  South: Bari, Campobasso, Cosenza, Potenza
  


• 
  Islands: Cagliari, Palermo
  

Foreign offices

There are RAI offices in foreign countries, which produce news reports that are broadcast live in Italy. These offices are in: Brussels, Paris, Berlin, London, New York City, Beijing, Cairo, Jerusalem, Nairobi, Moscow, Rio de Janeiro.

See also

• Television in Italy


• Television licensing in Italy


• Prix Italia

References

External links

Media related to RAI (broadcaster) at Wikimedia Commons

• Rai.it


• RaiPlay


• Live Radio


• Rai Expo official multilanguage site, a library of about 1000 videos exploring and explaining "Expo di Milano 2015" theme

Coordinates: 41°55′4″N 12°27′59″E / 41.91778°N 12.46639°E / 41.91778; 12.46639