20 February 2008

TV Channels: the facts according to Marco Travaglio

This is how the facts are:
”Sorry about the boring stuff, but we are talking about the TV. This square machine in which the other evening Cainano could talk with impunity about how he fought like a lion against the exit of Enzo Biagi from the RAI, but there was nothing to be done when the elderly Enzo was too keen to get his hands on the money and escaped with a large end-of-work-payment. In front of him, in the place of Johnny Raiotta, the director of TG!, there was a cardboard cut-out that naturally did not respond.
The day before yesterday, Antonio Di Pietro said something obvious, it’s necessary to apply the European verdict relating to Europa7 and move Rete4 to satellite. Then he said he hoped for RAI to be cut down to “a single channel with no advertising, financed by the licence fee and removed from the influence of the parties” and that every concessionaire would not be able to have more than one channel.
On this second point, there’s the freedom of thought: in the PD {Democratic Party}, on the Left, on the Right, above and below. But as regards the obligation to put into action the verdicts of the European Court, there’s not much to be discussed, it just needs doing full stop. However Di Pietro has been overwhelmed with criticism, attacks and abuse. That it is the Berlusconians that are trying to silence him, from Cicchitto to Fede, from il Giornale to il Foglio, from Facci to Donna Barbuta, is part of the game: the broad band defends the cash box. What is decidedly more extravagant is that the top brass in the PD are doing this.
Gentiloni: “The Council of State will make an announcement in the next few months, and in the light of the announcement, we will take appropriate steps.”
Follini: “The position of the PD is contained in the two Gentiloni DDLs that have been laid before Parliament.”
Veltroni: “I would never feel like pronouncing words to attack Berlusconi. We have a joyous polemic with him, but it’s OK like that: Italians are tired of abusive remarks.” In fact no one wants to send out abuse. However, it would be interesting to know how the PD intends to act in relation to TV.
Also because the head of information, Marco Follini, is not one with the same name as the one who approved the save-Rete4 decree and the Gasparri law: it’s always him. Perhaps he needs to come out of the tunnel of the Gasparri law. Explaining to him, with the necessary precautions, that the European Court has reduced to nothing, the argument of “transitory regime” on which were founded the Maccanico, the Gasparri and the Gentiloni.
To sum up: since 1994 the Consultation body has been telling Fininvest to give up a channel or to move it to satellite. The Maccanico allowed it to have a bit more time that was more or less without limit. This lasted even after 1999 when Europa7 won the concession and Rete4 lost it, but Rete4 continued to occupy the frequencies due to Europa7. In 2002, the Consultation body went back to fixing as a maximum just two channels for Mediaset and it gave them time until 31 December 2003. Berlusconi with the “salva-Rete4” {save Rete4} and Gasparri with the Gasparri law concluded the game, with the excuse that when digital terrestrial arrives (forecast for 2006) thousands of channels will come out. The Gentiloni changed nothing on the number of channels, limited itself to move digital to 2012, and said nothing about the frequencies of Europa7: another transition period that crystallized the status quo, that is the monopoly of Mediaset. Meanwhile on 19 June 2007, Mrs. Kroes, the European Commissioner for Competition, brought a default action against the Italian Government to immediately modify the Gasparri law, that allows access to digital only for RAI and Mediaset, and it announced the offence procedure against Italy.
At the request of Europa7, the Council of State asked the Luxembourg Court if the Italian rules are legitimate. On 31 January 2008, the Court replied that they are illegitimate (the Maccanico, the Gasparri and implicitly also the Gentiloni) exactly because they allow a transition period to Rete4, to the detriment of Europa7: the Council of State will have to pay compensation to Europa7 for the lack of income and for the frequencies denied. Commissioner Kroes announces that this is also the European Union position: if in 2009, Italy does not change the system, it will be fined 350-400 thousand Euro a day, with back payments due from 2006. That is: the Italians will pay Europe and Europa7 enormous sums, because all the governments since 1994 up until now have favoured Berlusconi. Now, waiting for the Council of State (that should apply Luxembourg’s verdict) or to appeal to the defunct Gentiloni (which has been superceded by Luxembourg’s verdict) is a crafty move that offers little breathing space. To put into action the verdicts of the Consultation body and of the European Court is not doing a favour to Di Pietro or being disrespectful to Berlusconi. It’s a duty full stop.
Marco Travaglio"

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Information