The president introduces the delegation: Dr. Giampaolo Rossi, CEO of RAI, accompanied by Dr. Davide Di Gregorio, Dr. Bianca Maria Sacchetti, Dr. Giorgio Bicocchi, lawyer Felice Ventura, and Dr. Francesco Pultrone. She expresses happiness that the commission is operational, emphasizes the importance of public service support, and outlines the agenda: a 15-minute report from the CEO, followed by 3-minute interventions per group, a response, and a second round.
Thank you, President and commissioners. The media market is undergoing a profound transformation. RAI has chosen to strengthen its public service role with strategic interventions, becoming a digital media company. The new industrial plan includes over 100 million euros in incremental investments for 2024-2026. RaiPlay is a case study in Europe, with over 23 million active accounts. We have adopted new editorial guidelines, invested in AI, digitized over 320,000 films from our archives, and launched major technology and real estate projects, including the renovation of the historic Via Mazzini headquarters and a new production center in Milan. RAI remains the main driver of the Italian audiovisual industry, with 880 million euros invested in fiction, cinema, documentaries, and animation over the last three years. In sports, we have invested 1.1 billion euros in rights for 2021-2026, including the 2026 Olympics and FIFA World Cup. Sanremo 2026 was a record edition with 63% share and 1.2 billion digital views. Despite having the lowest public funding among major European broadcasters, RAI offers the widest multi-platform service. We have stabilized 127 precarious journalists and increased in-depth programming by 11%. RAI is a laboratory of the future, not a tired giant.
Thank you. As agreed, we will start with 3-minute interventions per group, then the CEO will respond, followed by further rounds. Please signal if you wish to speak. Senator Satta, you have the floor.
Thank you, President and CEO. RAI's organization used to be structured by networks; now it is based on directorates by genre (prime time, daytime, culture, documentaries, etc.). Can you assess this model's pros and cons and whether it should continue?
Perfect, that was very brief. Now, Senator and Honorable Montaruli, please.
Thank you. We are used to attacks on RAI, but I was struck by the denigratory tone in the book 'Once Upon a Time RAI' by the commission's president. It depicts RAI as on the brink, occupied, lottized, causing talent flight, needing defense from the government. I am confused: are these real risks, or does the public still choose RAI and pluralism is intact?
Thank you. I will address that in another hearing. Honorable Graziano, please.
Thank you for the hearing, but three minutes is too short. We have never heard the new governance since it was installed. After the CEO's report and Montaruli's comments, it seems everything is fine. So why didn't the CEO come to the commission for a year and a half if everything was fine?
Just to clarify: I said three minutes to avoid dragging on, but colleagues from Fratelli d'Italia went a few minutes over.
I don't want to be polemical, but three minutes is impossible for me.
Well, no one has done anything anyway, sorry.
I just wanted to say that I don't block anyone. President, if we set rules we should respect them. We said three minutes, so let it be three minutes. But the real question is: Dr. Rossi, why didn't you come to the commission for a year and a half? They didn't let me come to ask questions because everything was fine. I'll ask quickly: are you aware of a letter from the European Commission regarding the full application of the Freedom Act, for which Italy risks an infringement?
On the government's response regarding RAI's governance, what is it? Second, on the referendums, there was no parity but evident disparity in programming. Third, on competition, there has been a loss on the generalist front; how do you plan to counter it given only one successful new program in three years? Fourth, on the debt, we need to know the exact amount and how you plan to reduce it, especially to transform the broadcaster into a digital media company. Last, the stabilization of precarious workers was insufficient; there are 180 more, and sending them to regional news may have been a mistake.
Thank you. We've gone a bit over. Senator De Cristoforo.
I'll try to be quick. I'm surprised by the tone tonight. I open this document and discover that Italians watch big events on RAI – which has been the case for 50 years. The real issues are the deterioration of political debate shows. For instance, yesterday Floris had a 14% share on referendum results, while RAI remained silent. Today the minister resigned and TG2 barely covered it. Can you tell me how many hours were dedicated to the Garlasco case versus social issues? I think the problem is not just pluralism but the chosen narrative that feeds a certain imaginary. Also shows speculating on security as if there were a perceived emergency. These are the issues we should discuss.
Thank you. Excuse the organization; we will do more rounds to give you time. Please, Honorable Caro Tenuto, 3 minutes if possible.
I'll try to stay within time. Despite this presentation, we note the loss of the audience challenge with Mediaset and the loss of authority with La7. These documents are fiction. The reality is loss of credibility in information. Did you pound the table when TG1 and TG2 omitted the Mastro case? He was forced to resign but disappeared from news. Citizens see these on their phones and abandon RAI. It's a disaster because ethics, impartiality, pluralism are missing. Garlasco gets hours, environment gets abandoned. Report gets cut. The Santachi resigned because of a RAI program. And the Petrecca case: after being rejected by all newsrooms, he ends up doing the most important commentary of the year. We are two months from the World Cup; will we have a competent director of Rai Sport?
Thank you, Honorable Boschi, 3 minutes for you.
Thank you President and thanks to the CEO. We know we don't often have the chance to meet here, but you've always been available. I won't repeat what colleagues said. You mentioned investments in offices, but there are problems in Florence, Turin, Venice. Also, RAI lost the ATP Finals tennis to Mediaset. I won't go back on precarious workers. On Petrecca, after being rejected by all newsrooms, what will happen to him? Finally, I'm concerned that RAI is missing the opportunity to offer quality public service. During the referendum campaign, the last debate between Schlein and Meloni was on La7, not RAI. RAI has become a government mouthpiece.
Thank you, Honorable Lupi.
Thank you. In three minutes, I'm tempted to respond to some things that belong more to polemics. I hope RAI never allows a politician to make a news schedule; that would be offensive to journalists. Also, I saw a public service show on Tuesday with 2.2M viewers, but without any proponent of the 'yes' vote and with a debate between Renzi and Casalino. I praise RAI's ratings, like Magioni on Rai3 with 11-12% on war. The guide should be the service contract. The first objective was to transform RAI into a digital media company. I want to know what is missing, what difficulties you face in competing with platforms. Also, I appreciate that RAI Fiction is an element of education and positive values, like the recent fiction on psychiatric care. How is that going?
Thank you, Senator Bergesio.
Thank you President and thanks to the CEO and all RAI staff. The genre-based reorganization seems not to have fully expressed its potential in quality and territorial roots. It risks weakening the coherence of the offer and the identity of the networks. Do you think the current balance between genres and networks is working? What interventions are planned? Another topic is the towers, 5G, Raiway. The telecom infrastructure is undergoing strong redefinition. We ask what strategic evaluation RAI is making regarding these dynamics, especially the potential consolidation of Raiway and Towers, and whether RAI intends to strengthen Raiway's role.
Perfect. Within three minutes, if there is no one else, only one political party is missing. Forza Italia, if you wish to intervene, we would like to hear you. Please, Honorable della Chiesa.
However, I am a... what I wanted to say is that for me RAI is Italy, a piece of Italy, culture and fiction. It's right what Lupi said, because RAI fiction are going in the direction of teaching. For example, the professor with Gassman on philosophy is excellent. Young people need information but get it from unreliable social media; RAI should help them regain that sense of culture. That's all.
But you came in company? No?
Yes, I am in company. Then a question: you talk a lot about Sanremo; I am a big fan. The ratings are fine, but why not bring back Amadeus? That's to lighten the mood.
That's the most important question.
Thank you, I'll let the CEO respond and then we'll do another round within these three minutes.
I'll start from the first question about the genre model. The model originates from when I was a board member under Fabrizio Salini. We adopted this revolutionary model, common to many European public broadcasters. It's the only one that can handle the transformation of linear TV. But it has two flaws: first, there are nine genre directorates when there should be four. Second, there is no chief content officer. We need to rationalize and create a single audiovisual hub to pool cinema, fiction, and documentaries. The model can work if these adjustments are made. Another topic: Honorable Graziano, why haven't I come before? I can come when summoned. Now that I'm summoned, I came very politely, because your colleagues, your friends in the majority, keep you blocked. Graziano, let's talk, you and I can dialogue.
Honorable Graziano, he is your friend too, so there are no problems.
On the European Commission, we know there is a draft law being discussed. RAI is waiting with attention. On the debt, when I returned to RAI in June 2023, we found a very complicated debt situation, projections of over a billion. We implemented a plan to optimize costs and reduce debt. The plan is working; debt was reduced last year. On the referendum, we rely on AGCOM monitoring which showed pluralism and balance. RAI was not cited for violations. I'm sorry Senator De Cristoforo was troubled by my mention of Sanremo, but it's a paradigm of RAI's value. It's not to boast but to show the great value of this company's 12,000 employees. Sanremo is a model; other broadcasters come to see how it's done.
On the real estate topic? No, on the referendum.
On the referendum, we base ourselves on AGCOM monitoring which showed parity. I want to remind you that other broadcasters were ordered to rebalance. The RAI was not subject to such measures. As for Sanremo, it's a paradigm not because we are the best, but because other European broadcasters come to see how we do it.
Because no one else can do it. Sanremo is not just the five days on stage. I often take people to see the Sanremo phenomenon built by RAI. The value of Sanremo is not the great visual spectacle, but the extraordinary strength of RAI's technological production capabilities. The Ariston Theater is historic but challenging; RAI transforms it into a satellite spaceship with remote control rooms. This combination of production power and editorial capacity is unique. To talk about Sanremo is not to boast about being the best, but to pay homage to those who carry RAI forward every day. And then the Petrecca issue: on February 18, the director of Rai Sport, Paolo Petrecca, resigned after strong regret over the media pillory he endured. The Olympics commentary issue originated from the resignation of deputy director Auro Bulbarelli. Director Petrecca took on the commentary himself with little time, leading to a negative performance and backlash. He waited until after the Olympics to resign with a sense of responsibility. The closing ceremony commentary was then done by Bulbarelli. Currently, vice director Marco Lollobrigida is interim director, and we will soon choose a new director for Rai Sport, considering the upcoming World Cup.
