Italy

[IT] AGCOM Adopts Guidelines for PSB Obligations for Years 2013-2015

IRIS 2013-2:1/30

Francesca Pellicanò

Autorità per le garanzie nelle comunicazioni (Agcom)

Following the public consultation launched with Deliberation no. 130/12/CONS (see IRIS 2012-6/23) which led in October 2012 to the approval of a draft sent for comments to the Ministry of Economic Development, on 29th November 2012 AGCOM (the Italian Communications Authority) approved Deliberation no. 587/12/CONS. With this deliberation, adopted pursuant to Article 45, para 4, of the Italian AVMS Code, AGCOM approved the guidelines for the contract of public service broadcasting, subscribed every three years by RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana spa (Italian public service broadcaster) and the Ministry of Economic Development.

The aforementioned article 45 creates a series of obligations the contract of service must comply with, and prescribes that every renewal of the contract has to be preceded by guidelines adopted by AGCOM with the opinion of the Ministry, defining further obligations deemed necessary by considering market development, technological progress and changing needs of a cultural nature, both at a national and local level.

The guidelines, adopted for years 2013-2015, identify their goals in ensuring a higher quality of both entertainment and information programmes, experimenting with new formats, improving the social and cultural commitment, taking into the utmost consideration the protection of minors, developing audiovisual productions suitable to uphold a positive image of Italian culture and identity, by promoting new audiovisual works but also by spreading to the public the excellent material stored by RAI in its historical archives.

On a more technical side, the public service broadcaster needs to compel to the principle of technological neutrality, guarantee a technical improvement of the service quality, also helping to improve the level of media literacy in Italy and enlarging the offer of online content.

With regard to the financing issue, according to the Protocol on the system of public service broadcasting in the member states, annex to the Treaty of Lisbon, public financing to public service broadcaster is allowed only to comply with PSB obligations and in such a way not to impact on the competition in the internal market. AGCOM, consequently, prescribes more transparency in using public funds, specifying for what obligations these are used.