The Draghi government is preparing a turnaround at home Rai. To the dossier, as reported by the Print, Antonio Garofoli, undersecretary of the Prime Minister, Antonio Funiciello, head of cabinet of the Premier, Alessandro Rivera, director general of the Treasury and trusted man of Daniele Franco, and Giancarlo Giorgetti, minister of economic development, are working.
The renewal promises to be full-bodied and is part of the great movement of appointments to the top management of public companies, many of which are out of date. By the summer, the mandates of the public TV board of directors, the managing director and the president will expire. The succession of network and Tg directors will follow in cascade. And a real earthquake is predicted. The intention of the Draghi government would in fact be to change course by rewarding technicians, men and women, rather than politicians.
The first problem to address is that of accounts. At the end of April, the expiring board of directors will present the accounts in the red for 50 million euros, a hole to which another 30-40 million will be added in lost revenues for special fees (for example those of hotels and gyms, closed due to the pandemic).
A failure for CEO Fabrizio Salini - who arrived together with Marcello Foa with the yellow-green government - who in three years hasn't even managed to start a new business plan, despite the advice requested, which weighed on the accounts.
Just i Costs continue to rise, together with the management and related staff.
The second question, evidently linked to the first, concerns the listening difficulties. The audience of spectators has increased due to the anti-contagion restrictions, yet the share of Rai has dropped by an average of one point. Public TV is unable to compete with on-demand streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney Plus. The equivalent of Viale Mazzini, RaiPlay, is not bearing the desired results in terms of online viewing.
But who will be the new Rai top management? It is probable that Draghi will behave as Monti did ten years ago, that is, appoint technicians. Luigi Gubitosi, Tim's current number one and former general manager of Rai, seems to have sponsored Giorgetti's candidacy Paul Del Brocco, close to Pd and Italia Viva but also appreciated by the League. Another name that has started circulating again would be that of Carlo Nardello (Tim), in the past at the direction of RaiCom.
At the same time, however, the prices of Eleonora Andreatta, daughter of Beniamino, political mentor of Enrico Letta. It is she who brought RaiFiction to success, opening up to international co-productions. She has now moved to Netflix, which represents a big problem, given that she earns much more than the 240 euros envisaged as the ceiling on Rai salaries.
The appointments at the top of the networks and Tg Rai deserve a separate chapter. But perhaps it is premature to talk about it, it takes time before the run-up for names reaches a reliable shortlist of eligible candidates.
