Rai or Mediaset? Final rush in the negotiations on Berlinguer Yes to the investigations, the move by Soldi-Corriere.it

ROME – Yesterday evening two things seemed certain in the story that someone summarized under the title TotoBianca, that is, the mystery of the move to Mediaset of the presenter Bianca Berlinguer, whose talk White paper has just been confirmed for the autumn on Rai3. First: Rai did not seem willing to give in to the journalist’s request to adjust the counter-programming which, according to her, would jeopardize the ratings of her program next autumn, a reason for dissatisfaction. Second: Discovery has no ongoing negotiations with the presenter. The general manager Alessandro Araimo would also be irritated by the instrumental use of voices. And one wonders if that announcement yesterday afternoon was not the sign that the real negotiation, the one with Mediaset, had not yet reached port.

Yesterday Rai underlined the urgency of a decision: next Monday the schedules will have to be approved by the board of directors which has already examined them. Once approved, a step back by the presenter would cost her a penalty. But if Mediaset’s offer were really the hosting of a program on Rete4, what would have been the counter-offer from Rai’s top management to the journalist? According to rumors, the director general Giampaolo Rossi would have pointed out to the journalist that hers was the only political talk in prime time. This is not what Nunzia De Girolamo will lead on Monday, always on Rai3. And it’s not Beasts
by Francesca Fagnani that on Tuesdays, in the early evening, there has already been and, according to marketing analyses, it would have a male and young audience compared to the female and adult one of the talk. Least of all to White paper
would remove public Boomer by Alessia Marcuzzi. The broadcast would therefore have been ensured adequate promotion, freedom on invitations (and God forbid) and a budget for the guests. Topic on which Berlinguer would be sensitive, complaining of not being able to fight against other networks that pay some guests to have the exclusive. Finally, Rai is counting on the fact that Berlinguer is a manager of the company, a security that Mediaset would not offer.

But yesterday Rai’s top management was grappling with another issue detonated by the opposition: the absence of investigative journalism among the general objectives of the service contract. The note has already been rejected by CEO Roberto Sergio, who specified how investigative journalism does not appear in the premises but is protected in a special chapter, as well as by the multiplication in the new schedules of journalistic programmes. But, surprisingly, on the eve of the board that will have to approve the service contract, the president Marinella Soldi would have demanded changes anyway, threatening to vote against. Vote which however would have led to his resignation a minute later, because it was in contrast with the position agreed with the shareholder. But a compromise would eventually be found.

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