Posted on 01/03/2011 10:53:22 AM PST by fight_truth_decay
MILAN -- The Italian government, under pressure from the communications watchdog Agcom, has renewed rules limiting ownership of media outlets that were due to expire on Jan. 1.
The move will prevent Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi from adding to his already extensive range of media interests.
But Berlusconi's government has extended the ban on new cross-holdings of television and print media assets by just three months, and not for another year, as many had expected. The official government gazette says, however, that the ban "might" be extended until the end of 2011.
Conflict of interest accusations have dogged Berlusconi since he entered politics.
He has a controlling stake in three of Italy's six major TV stations, together with a family newspaper and a weekly news magazine. As head of government he also has significant influence over pubcaster RAI.
Restrictions on media cross-holdings were laid down in the Gasparri Law regulating broadcast media, which was passed in 2004.
The bill was intended to transform Italy’s media sector by abolishing restrictions on cross-ownership of national TV channels and newspapers.
The center-left opposition had proposed an amendment to the Gasparri bill to topple Berlusconi’s media empire by blocking ownership of more than two TV channels and limiting cross-ownership of TV networks, radio stations, and newspapers, thus forcing Berlusconi to give up one of his three networks. “The amendment,” dryly commented Il Manifesto’s Bruno Perini (April 3), “was zapping the dream of the Berlusconi group of owning all the broadcasting outlets and of getting its hands on other newspapers.”
The 17 legislators who voted with the opposition on the amendment, violated, according to La Stampa, a taboo. La Repubblica (April 3) went so far as to predict that the decision by the 17 renegades “will have severe, political implications for the governing coalition.” Italian newspapers referred to “the 17” as “franchi tiratori,” literally “irregulars” or “guerillas.” Il Manifesto elaborated on that description: “The group that shot the ‘Berluscones’ in the back.” And Corriere della Sera quoted Paolo Romani, the communications spokesman for Berlusconi’s Forza Italia Party, who warned that “revenge is a dish best served cold;...[Source]
Shame we do not have this here with the Saudis and ALL 6 US Tv networks. I think Prince Al Waleed’s has some money in Berlasconi’s networks.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi [A JOKESTER] has provoked criticism for describing Barack Obama as “young, handsome, and tanned”.
He made the remarks after a meeting with the Russian president in Moscow
Responding to a reporter's suggestion that the remark might be misunderstood, he accused his opponents of not having a sense of humour.
‘’God save us from imbeciles,’’ he added.
Oh I like him. He has more guts than the entire US Senate.
“newspapers referred to “the 17” as “franchi tiratori,” literally “irregulars” or “guerillas.””
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