RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana, commercially styled as Rai since 2000 and known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane (RAI), is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Rai operates many terrestrial and subscription television channels and radio stations. It is one of the biggest broadcasters in Europe, and the biggest in Italy competing with Mediaset and other minor radio and television networks. Rai has a relatively high television audience share of 35.9%.
Arte is a European public service channel dedicated to culture. It is made up of three separate companies: the Strasbourg-based European Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG) ARTE, plus two member companies acting as editorial and programme production centres, ARTE France in Paris and ARTE Deutschland in Baden-Baden.
Sky Italia S.r.l. is an Italian satellite television platform owned by the American media conglomerate Comcast. Sky Italia also broadcasts three national free-to-air television channels: TV8, Cielo, and Sky TG24.
Canale 5 is an Italian free-to-air television channel of Mediaset, owned by MFE - MediaForEurope. It was the first private television network to have national coverage in Italy in 1980. On 4 December 2012, Mediaset launched Canale 5 HD, a simulcast of Canale 5 in high-definition. The channel is aimed at a primarily adult audience, offering, mainly, entertainment, movies and TV series. Since January 2013, Canale 5 has been directed by Giancarlo Scheri.
Rai 1 is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. It is the company's flagship television channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream and generalist programming, usually aimed towards families, including TG1 news bulletins, prime time drama, cinema and entertainment, and major breaking news, sports and special events.
La7 is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned by Cairo Communication. Until 2013 it was owned by Telecom Italia Media and operated by Telecom Italia.
Rai 3 is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. It was launched on 15 December 1979 and its programming is centred towards cultural and regional programming. It has always been considered the most left-leaning channel of Italian public television; its direct competitor to Mediaset's Rete 4.
Radiotelevisione svizzera di lingua italiana is a Swiss public broadcasting organisation, part of SRG SSR. RSI handles production and broadcasting of radio and television programs in Italian and Lombard for Switzerland. RSI's administrative headquarters are located in Via Canevascini in Lugano-Besso.
Rai News 24 is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. It is the company's all-news television channel, and is known for its 24-hour rolling news service and its live coverage of breaking news.
Television in Italy was introduced in 1939, when the first experimental broadcasts began. However, this lasted for a very short time: when fascist Italy entered World War II in 1940, all transmissions were interrupted, and were resumed in earnest only nine years after the end of the war, on January 3, 1954.
Radiotelevisione della Repubblica di San Marino, commonly known as San Marino RTV, is the public service broadcaster of San Marino. On 13 June 2011, San Marino RTV changed its name to SMtv San Marino. In November 2013, the name was changed back to San Marino RTV.
RSI LA 1 is one of two television channels produced by Radiotelevisione Svizzera di lingua Italiana for the Italian-speaking community of Switzerland. LA 1, which can be received in all parts of the country, is a generalist channel with a schedule encompassing news, entertainment, drama, cinema films, documentaries, and sport.
Rai Extra was an Italian television channel owned by RAI and broadcast on Digital terrestrial television in Italy.
Rai 4 is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. Launched on 14 July 2008 with the film Elephant, Rai 4 targets youths with films, TV series and anime.
Nickelodeon is an Italian children’s television channel launched on 1 November 2004 on Sky Italia. From 1997 until 2000, Rai Sat 2 broadcast Nickelodeon cartoons for three hours a day. Its based on the US version of the channel.
Rai Sport HD is an Italian sports TV channel, launched in 1999 by the state-owned RAI television network. It broadcasts Italian and international sports events in Italy on DTT channel 58 on Rai Mux A from HDTV. It is also available on Sky Italia.
Rai Scuola is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned by Rai Cultura, an arm of State-owned broadcaster RAI. Launched in 1999 as Rai Edu Lab, the channel adopted its current name in 2009.
Rai Italia is the international Italian language television service of Rai Com, a subsidiary of RAI, Italy's public national broadcaster. Rai Italia operates a television network that broadcasts around the world via 4 localized feeds. Programming features a mix of news, discussion-based programs, drama and documentaries as well as sports coverage. From 1996 to 2013, Glauco Benigni is Head of the Press International Office and Head of Promotion and Development of RAI International worldwide.
Rai Yoyo is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. It is the company's television channel for kids, and is known for its programming for children between the ages of four to seven.
Rai Teche is a company that manages all archived material that has been produced and broadcast by Italian national public broadcaster RAI throughout its history.
