Italy

Despite the fact that Italian public broadcaster RAI and Silvio Berlusconi’s Mediaset recently purchased the terrestrial TV rights for about 100 films and TV series that will be split between them from Warner Bros (RAI paying about US$ 22 million and Mediaset an estimated US$ 30-40 million for their packages), Italian broadcasters are changing their policy from film acquisition to film production in order to challenge US programmes.

Reflecting the final stage of its recent restructuring, RAI will for the first time in years produce more programmes than it acquires, spending a from 35 to 51 per cent increased share of its programme budget on production and 49 per cent on acquisition. With UK’s BBC it had already successfully co-produced in the past and they are currently working on two new projects. Further co-productions are planned with France 2 and German Kirch group. After negotiating for nearly six years, Mediaset has signed a co-production deal with French broadcaster M6 in order to make international competitive programming. They already presented three completed TV series with six others and a TV film still to come.

Berlusconi’s Fininvest group has sold off shares in Mediaset ahead of the planned flotation at the Stock Exchange this month, but still holding 72 per cent. Following a decree of the Italian Constitutional Court that nobody will be allowed to own more than two channels, Silvio Berlusconi will also have to sell one of his three television channels by August at latest.

RAI finally managed to secure the TV rights for the Italian football league for the next three years after Vittorio Cecchi Gori failed to get his previously successful bid for the rights financed by Italian banks. It would have been the fist time in Italian television that the national broadcaster RAI would not have been able to show the games of the Italian football league.

© May 1996 by Jens Barkemeyer