Italy

[IT] Unauthorised Interviews during Football Games Forbidden by the Italian Football League

IRIS 1999-9:1/25

Maja Cappello

Autorità per le garanzie nelle comunicazioni (AGCOM)

On 5 August 1999 the Italian Football League approved three regulations concerning interviews and reportages on radio and television broadcasting. According to these regulations, during the 1999/2000 Italian football season interviews and reportages inside football stadiums are only permitted following a specific authorisation of the Italian Football League.

The right of the public to be informed about the events is guaranteed pursuant to, among others, the following rules:

- for each day of the football season authorised broadcasters are allowed three minutes of reportage;

- audiovisual recordings may be transmitted only via deferred coverage during television news provided that the transmission is made after 8:30 p.m. or 12 p.m. according to the scheduled time of the match (respectively before 4 p.m. or in the evening);

- interviews with players, coaches, managers or other members of the football teams are not permitted until 20 minutes after the end of the match and may be transmitted after 8:30 p.m. or 12 p.m. according to the scheduled time of the match (respectively before 4 p.m. or in the evening);

- it is forbidden to interview the viewers or to make audiovisual recordings inside the stadium and to interview players, coaches, managers or other members of the football teams before or during the matches.

- broadcasters are not allowed to link up to the stadiums before the start, during or at the end of the matches in order to make audiovisual reportages or interviews;

- the transmission of audiovisual reportages or interviews is not allowed by other means than television, such as the internet.

All interested broadcasters have to apply for an authorisation to the Italian Football League in order to be admitted inside the stadium and are subject to sanctions in case of infringement of the rules established in the above-mentioned regulations.