Rai Satelradio

Infobox Network
name = Rai Satelradio

country = Italy
network_type = Radio network
available = International
owner = RAI - Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.a.
key_people = "Maurizio Imbriale" (Head of the Rai International Internet project)
launch_date = July 1, 1930
past_names =
website = [http://www.international.rai.it/engl/radio/satelradio/index.shtml Rai Satelradio] |

Rai Satelradio is the official international radio service of Radiotelevisione Italiana, Italy's national broadcaster.

History

Rai Satelradio has been broadcasting from Rome to the rest of the world for the past 72 years.

In the 1930's Italy was one of the first countries to begin international shortwave broadcasts. Guglielmo Marconi, the man who invented radio, oversaw the construction of the first short-wave transmitter at Prato Smeraldo outside Rome on July, 1 1930. Four years later two more transmitters were completed and broadcasts began in English and Italian to North America. In 1935 broadcasting of programmes in Italian, Portuguese and Spanish began to South America.

In 1939, after the completion of six new transmitters, programmes in English were beamed to the Far East, Europe and countries around the Mediterranean. It is from the short-wave radio centre at Rome-Prato Smeraldo that all Rai International's programmes are broadcast.

During the Second World War to the original aim of linking Italy with the vast community of Italian migrants around the world were added the political and strategic motives for international broadcasting common to all the Great Powers, beginning with the former colonial nations: France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, the Soviet Union and the United States. After Italy entered the war short-wave broadcasts were suspended following the armistice signed with the Allies on September 8, 1943 and were only resumed on September 3, 1946 with the broadcast of news bulletins in English, Italian, French, Portuguese and Spanish.

A 1962 law allocated management of international short-wave broadcasts, for which a special committee of the Cabinet Office is responsible, to state broadcaster Rai. As the years went by the programmes lost their character of official - sometimes even propaganda - broadcasts to become a news source that fully reflects the democratic nature of the Italian Republic. Today Radio Roma offers a comprehensive news service on Italian politics, society and culture, not least within the context of the European Union.

In 1975 the setting up of a special management section for foreign broadcasting and journalism laid the foundations for significant development of the sector. Subsequently the existing services for foreign broadcasting were expanded to include Rai International's new intercontinental television channels. In the near future Rai International is destined to be transformed into an autonomous company within state broadcaster Rai.

Current broadcasts

Each day Rai Satelradio's editorial team turns out ten editions of "Giornale dall'Italia" in Italian: this 25-minute news programme is designed for Italian listeners throughout the world.

The editorial team also produces "Un giorno in Italia" and "Ultime notizie", special in-depth programmes for the Americas.

In many countries it is possible to receive several Rai International programmes or the entire programme schedule of Satelradio through local radio stations that re-transmit our signal in their own zone, on AM, FM, short wave or via cable.

On October, 1, 2007 all broadcasts on short wave were discontinued and foreign language services were closed.

English language programmes

Now English news are transmitted as part of "Notturno Italiano" programme on medium wave.

Web channels

Rai Satelradio transmits two radio channels online, 24 hours. Thus the radio and news programmes produced by Rai and Rai Satelradio can be listened to worldwide without any special technical devices (apart from a computer and Internet connection).

*Hotbird Live

Music, topical programmes and news in Italian and in many other languages. The programme schedule of Rai International's Multilingual channel is a selection of the best programmes broadcast on short wave.The Multilingual channel is broadcast on Hotbird 6 and via the web in Real Audio.

*Satelradio Live

Satelradio broadcasts the best of Rai International Radio and the three Radio Rai networks daily, 24 hours. Music, information and entertainment programmes.

See also

* RAI, the Italy's publicly-funded national broadcaster
* Raitalia international television service run by Italy's national broadcaster

External links

* [http://www.international.rai.it/engl/radio/satelradio/index.shtml Rai Satelradio Website] en icon
* [http://www.international.rai.it/mediacenter/frontend/programma.php?cat=11 Live Streaming]