David de Jong writes: Italian media news service Newslinet reports that the broadcasting center of Rome Prato Smeraldo has received orders to shut down as of 30 September. Currently the radio broadcasts of Rai International are available in 26 languages on shortwave, satellite and Internet. 60 editorial staff are involved on the production side, of whom half are on temporary contracts. Their future is uncertain, as is that of Rai International.
The decision to shut down the shortwave broadcasts is a consequence of the new contract made between the Italian government and public broadcaster Rai and its international department Rai International. It is still unclear whether some broadcasts might continue on satellite and Internet. Most probably Italian programmes will be continued as they are used for mediumwave broadcasts during the night (Notturno Italiano) and are also relayed throughout several FM outlets, especially in the US, Canada and Australia.
Italy has been active with shortwave broadcasts since I July 1930, and since 1934 in foreign languages under the Mussolini fascist regime. Italy - which became a democratic republic directly after World War II - has been active with its international service since 3 September 1946, when English, Spanish, French and Portuguese broadcasts restarted in a totally new setting, and were expanded to the 26 languages in which it broadcasts today.
Since 1995 the broadcasts have been the responsibility of the 100 % Rai-owned company Rai International, which took over from the ‘Direzione Esteri’ of Rai. Rai International is currentlyfocusing more on its television activities. The workers’ union Libersind has sent a petition to the Italian government in order to keep the foreign broadcasts.
(R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)