ITALY / Rai prepares an international channel in English

The new five-year services contract signed between Rai (public broadcaster) and the Italian Ministry of Economic Development provides for an English-language channel which should go on air soon.

At some point in 2018 this channel will broadcast 24 hours a day, offering news, documentaries, films, series and live sports events – all entirely in English. This new channel will be available worldwide, aiming to show a foreign audience different aspects of Italy.

Extending from 2018 to 2022, the new service contract contains other new features: for example Rai will have to buy more original programmes from independent producers, spending €2 million on them in 2018 and 3 million in 2019. Every year the investment will be increased.

In addition, Rai will have to make all its television channels available to satellite operators, such as Sky Italia. However, Rai will be able to charge the operators for this service.

The contract stipulates that by 2022 Rai must abandon its 700 MHz frequencies, releasing them to mobile telephone and the Internet companies, as demanded by the European Union. Finally, there will be no advertising during children’s programmes, and subtitling will be extended to at least 80% of Rai’s programmes.

In the next few days, though, parliament has to examine the terms of the contract before finalizing it, probably by the end of November. Once adopted, it should come into effect in January 2018.

Sources: La Repubblica, Il Giornale