Italy

[IT] AGCOM publishes list of audiovisual and radio services of general interest

IRIS 2026-2:1/5

Fabiana Bisceglia & Antonino Iago Gentile

Portolano Cavallo

On 19 January 2026, the Italian Communications Authority (AGCOM) published a list of services of general interest (SGIs) pursuant to new guidelines on prominence for audiovisual and radio media SGIs (Guidelines).

The Italian Audiovisual Media Services Code (AVMS Code) provides that adequate prominence must be guaranteed to SGIs to ensure pluralism, freedom of expression, cultural diversity and effective access to information for the widest possible audience. Through the Guidelines, AGCOM defined the criteria for categorising a service as an SGI, as well as the methods and criteria to ensure adequate prominence.

The Guidelines have categorised the following as SIGs: (a) the Public Broadcasting Service, (i.e. RAI), in relation to its audiovisual and radio media services broadcast for free on any platform and online; (b) national commercial audiovisual media services distributed for free through broadcasting (DVB-T, DVB-S) and online, with a generalist, semi-generalist, information, cultural or kids scheduling/catalogue, subject to certain requirements; (c) local commercial audiovisual services distributed for free online having a Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) authorisation, subject to certain requirements; (d) national and local radio commercial media services broadcast for free (DAB+, AM, FM); (e) local commercial radio and audiovisual media services distributed for free through broadcasting (DVB-T, DVB-S) and online, subject to certain stricter requirements.

Following the publication of the Guidelines, the operators falling within the SGI definition have submitted their application to AGCOM, except for the SGIs under letter (e) above which automatically qualify as SGIs. The list of SGIs published by AGCOM became binding on 3 February 2026 (15 days after its publication).

All devices allowing access to SGIs are required to comply with prominence obligations (including smart TVs, DTT and satellite decoders, dongles, set-top boxes, car radios and in-car infotainment, but excluding smartphones, tablets, personal computers, smart speakers and video game consoles).

The Guidelines mandate that SGIs be positioned prominently on device home pages, after the icon granting access to DTT, organised in a dedicated strip of icons (which should not be pre-installed) in a specific order.

1. National “generalistic” providers of audiovisual SGIs distributed online, placed according to the order of the DTT channel line-up (Logical Channel Number – LCN). Therefore, there will be five icons: RAI, Mediaset, La7, Sky, and Warner Bros. Discovery.

2. A “Local TV” icon allowing access to local audiovisual SGIs distributed online, ordered according to the LCN of the service broadcast on DTT.

3. A “National TV” icon allowing access to the other national audiovisual SGIs distributed online, ordered according to the LCN of the service broadcast on DTT and, subsequently, for any services without an LCN, in alphabetical order.

4. A “Radio” icon allowing access to radio SGIs distributed online, placed in alphabetical order.

Within 12 months of the publication of the SGI list, all prominence obligations under the Guidelines become binding for all the devices and user interfaces concerned, even those already commercialised, except for devices capable of receiving audio content in DAB+, AM and FM technology installed in vehicles, for which the obligations come into force twelve months after the publication of the Guidelines.

SIGs included in the list must promptly notify AGCOM of any changes to the information declared in their application. Providers of new services which may qualify as SGIs can submit a formal request to the authority to be included in the list. AGCOM will update the list annually.

For further information, please consult the full list of SGIs as well as AGCOM’s Decision and its annexes.