7 December 2006

Lawless Ether

The TV channel Europa7 won the regular State competition in 1999 to get a concession to transmit on a national scale on frequencies that at that time were used by Mediaset Rete4.
Mediaset Rete4 since then has continued to transmit on these same frequencies, first as a continuation, then according to what was established by the Gasparri law.
After a series of applications to the TAR and to the Council of State, the matter has been taken to the European Court of Justice.
At the Court of Justice, the Berlusconi Government, in power at the time, through the State Advocacy Service, defended the Gasparri law.
On 30 November, the Prodi Government, through the State Advocacy Service, supported the community legitimacy of the Gasparri law during a new hearing at the European Court of Justice, thus for this Europa7 case, it was following the political path of the previous government.
Italia dei Valori has presented a parliamentary question to minister Gentiloni to ask that the government clears up what has happened and the reasons for which it has not considered it appropriate to modify its judicial stance.
The Europa7 affair was caused by a freedom-killing law of the Berlusconi Government. The Centre Left cannot pull back from a redesign of the Italian radio and TV system that protects the principle of freedom of information.
I ask Minister Gentiloni to resolve the situation as soon as possible, recognizing the right of Europa7 to broadcast.

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Information