Italy

[IT] AGCOM approves evaluation of the Integrated System of Communications for 2014

IRIS 2016-2:1/17

Ernesto Apa, Daniel Joseph Giuliano

Portolano Cavallo Studio Legale

On 1 December 2015, the Autorità per le garanzie nelle comunicazioni (Italian Communications Authority - AGCOM) by means of Resolution no. 658/15/CONS approved the evaluation of the economic size for 2014 of the Integrated System of Communications (SIC), i.e. the economic sector consisting of daily and periodic press, annual and electronic publishing (also through the Internet), audiovisual media services and radio services, cinema, external advertising, initiatives of communications of products and services, and sponsoring. Based on this evaluation, for the year 2014 the overall value of the SIC is equal to more or less EUR 17 billion, with a downturn of 2.8% compared to 2013.

The area of audiovisual media services and radio services (also through the Internet) has a major impact on the overall economic resources, covering 49.2% of the SIC (equal to more than EUR 8 billion). Next, there is the daily and periodic publishing (and publishing agencies) also through the Internet, covering 25.9% of the SIC (more than EUR 4 billion). The editorial sector is completed by the revenues deriving from the annual publishing and other electronic publishing (also through the Internet), equal to an overall amount of EUR 235 million (1.4% of the SIC).The revenues relating to online advertising are equal to EUR 1.6 billion (9.5% of the SIC). The cinematographic sector covers 4.7% of the SIC with EUR 811 million, while external advertising is worth EUR 364 million and covers 2.1% of the SIC.

As to the initiatives of communications of products and services and to sponsoring, such areas reach an overall amount of EUR 1.2 billion, equal to 7.2% of the SIC.