The managing director of the Rai Carlo Fuortes has discharged. “In the interest of the company, I am resigning the mandate. I acknowledge that there are no longer the conditions to continue my job as managing director". Fuortes communicated his decision to the Ministry of Economy with an official note, but his resignation was already in the air. But who will take his place? In mid-May the schedules must be completed and there is a need for a right turn of the public service: Fuortes should take over Robert Sergio, director of Radio Rai, but the name of Marcello Ciannamea or Giampaolo Rossi, Giorgia Meloni's trusted man, should not be excluded. Although the latter will probably work alongside Sergio as general manager.
Carlo Fuortes: why did he resign from Rai?
The now former head of Viale Mazzini, after having retraced the successes obtained by the state broadcaster during his office, has motivated so his choice. “Since the beginning of 2023, a political clash has erupted over the position I hold and over my person, which contributes to weakening Rai and the public service. At the same time I noticed within the Board of Directors of Rai the lack of the constructive attitude that had characterized him, indispensable for the management of the first Italian cultural company. This – added the former CEO of Viale Mazzini – actually threatens to paralyze it, making it unable to respond to the obligations and deadlines of company programming with the risk of making it impossible to face the great challenges of Rai's future”.
With the now known risk of appointments in progress, Fuortes has therefore preferred to leave his office. "The Board of Directors must approve the programs of the new schedules in the coming weeks and it is a fact that the conditions no longer exist to continue the editorial renewal project that we undertook in 2021".
"Mine professional future – which has been much discussed in the newspapers these days, not always by the way – is of no importance in the face of these reasons and cannot be the subject of negotiation”, concluded the manager.
The ball of nominations: the Raibaltone is at the start
Thursday 4 May the cabinet approved the decree which intervenes on public bodies and companies and which has influenced the choice, by the government led by Giorgia Meloni, of the next leaders of Rai and therefore on Fuortes. Based on the rule passed by the CDM, a new age limit has been introduced for foreign directors of theaters and opera foundations: 70 years. One of the effects was precisely that of accompanying the current superintendent of the building to the door San Carlo of Naples, the French rider Stéphane Lissner, who turned 70 last January. Therefore, Fuortes has decided to resign from his position before the deadline (expected in 2024) to take Lissner's place at the management of San Carlo.
