With the green light by show of hands from the Senate floor without changes compared to the new text of the Chamber of early autumn, the reform of Rai proposed by the Renzi government becomes law. It mainly intervenes on the organisation, function and powers of the governance of the public information service. Here are the main changes in six points.
CEO - The most relevant change is the introduction of the figure of the managing director to replace the general manager. Among other things, the CEO, appointed by the board of directors on a proposal from the assembly, supervises the organization and functioning of the company; signs the deeds and company contracts pertaining to the management of the company, manages the company's personnel and appoints the first-level executives, acquiring the obligatory opinion of the board of directors for the network, channel and magazine directors; provides for the implementation of the industrial plan, the annual cost estimate; proposes for the approval of the board of directors company deeds and contracts of a strategic nature, as well as deeds and contracts which, also due to a multi-year duration, are for an amount exceeding 10 million euro. Below this figure, the CEO is autonomous.
BOD – The board of directors will be composed of 7 members compared to the current 9, "favoring the presence of both sexes and an adequate balance between components characterized by high professionalism and proven experience in the legal, financial, industrial and cultural fields". The members of the board of directors are designated as follows: two elected by the Chamber of Deputies and two elected by the Senate of the Republic, with votes limited to one; two designated by the Council of Ministers, on the proposal of the Minister of Economy and Finance; one designated by the assembly of Rai employees, among the company employees who have been employed for at least three consecutive years, with methods that guarantee the transparency and representativeness of the designation itself.
PRESIDENT - The appointment of the president is carried out by the board of directors among its members and becomes effective after the acquisition of the favorable opinion, expressed by a majority of two thirds of its members, of the parliamentary supervisory commission. The chairman may be entrusted by the board of directors with powers in the areas of external and institutional relations and the supervision of internal control activities, subject to a resolution by the shareholders' meeting which authorizes the delegation.
TRANSPARENCY ON REMUNERATION - The publication of the fees of subjects "other than the holders of contracts of an artistic nature" exceeding 200 thousand euros is foreseen.
DELEGATION FOR THE REORGANIZATION - The bill also entrusts the government with the power to adopt, within twelve months from the date of entry into force of the law, a legislative decree for the modification of the consolidated text of audiovisual and radio media services, following certain directive criteria: reorganization and simplification of the provisions in force; favor the transmission of content specifically intended for minors; broadcasting of public service television and radio broadcasts throughout the national territory; broadcasting of radio and television broadcasts also in German and Ladin for the autonomous province of Bolzano, in Ladin for the autonomous province of Trento, in French for the Valle d'Aosta region and in Slovenian for the Friuli Venezia Giulia region.
TRANSITIONAL RULE - Based on the new text, it is envisaged that from the entry into force of the law and before the appointment of the new board of directors, the general manager, "in addition to the powers assigned to him under the company's by-laws, shall exercise the powers and duties attributed to the managing director ”.
