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UNI MEI and its affiliates, representing over 140 unions and guilds and over 375 00 creators, technicians and other workers in the media, entertainment and arts in over 70 countries, are very much concerned with the recent developments in Italy regarding public service broadcasting. The recently adopted decree-law 66/2014 reduced the public transfers to the public television company RAI by € 150 million for 2014. In addition, the government requested transfer of RaiWay and the announced sizing-down of the regional offices of RAI severely threaten the prolongation of the public service concession of RAI in 2016.

All these decisions impact heavily on the economic and editorial autonomy of RAI and seriously raise the question of the sustainability of public service broadcasting in Italy. UNI MEI joins Italian trade unions CGIL, CISL and UIL in their urgent demands towards the Italian government to stop the dismantling of public service broadcasting in Italy.

UNI MEI calls upon the government to favour a strong public intervention in support of RAI to guarantee its fundamental role and mission as public service broadcasting.