European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 16, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Scene front a 19s6 thaw on the stale run rat mocking the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Iran expelled three to Allan diplomats and Eto Dan italian cultural Canter in Tehran in protect. Other actors portrayed Khomeini s Mother aft president Reagan. The Wacky world of italian to by Stephen associated press the losing contestant on a game show skips. A Gaudy Emerald ring fills Iho screen lot hours on a phone in auction program Tho Host of Italy s most watched program tells his12 million viewers to turn o f their sets for live minutes in a peace gesture. Welcome la inc Zany world of italian television Wilh perhaps some of the most watchable shows on Earth. There Are so Many to stations in Italy today that in s almost impossible a Remote control unit to hip from Lalk snows to slip shows auctions to astrology sessions documentaries to song and Danee okra Vaganas. Wilh new stations sprouting up every Day there were t,100 private channels at fast count and a High stakes War raging Between state run and priv Ala to. The government says it is finally close to passing a Law to re ulale the Industry and restore some sanity to the airwaves. To to been lining in wild West says Post and Tele communications minister Oscar mammi. Now h s Limo for the she Rifle to step Italy has seen a television revolution in Iho past decade. Color to snarled Only 12 years ago. And for years t a starved Lla lians. Limited to Only two slate run channels set up antennas to pick up programs from Switzerland France and Austria. All that changed in 1976 when a court ruled that the slate run rat network does not have a monopoly of the airwaves. Suddenly anyone could gel on the a r without even a broadcasting License. At first some stations were broadcasting simultaneously on the same channels causing interference and confusion but broadcasting schedules have since been largely sorted out. Some of the smallest stations have the wackiest programming take the new show co to Grosso hit it big on one Small private station a Rouvelle game in which a male and female contestant use their winnings to gel studio models to strip women Down to their panotes and men to their Boxer shorts ii the condos fall runs out of Money to or she lakes it off. Other private programs have car d hard Core pornography. Privalo to in t just for Small players however under inc guidance of building magnate Silvio Berlusconi he private Canalo 5 network has emerged to Challenge Rai for supremacy in the ratings. Tho combined viewing figures for Berlusconi s three channels Canale 5 and Lulalia Uno Ollun lop those of Rai s Thieo Stalions during prime time. Bui Overall. Iha race is heavily stacked in fall s Lavoi because of a ban on live nationwide private to. Private networks must tape their shows and deliver the Lapes to private relay Stalions around Nlaly for broadcast. The Power of live television is Strong an average of 14 million viewers tune in to Rai Uno s nightly newscast and Many Slick with the station the Resl of inc evening. Rai runs comr Orceals bul much of its Money comes from a stale tax on television sets. Together we re running a 100-meter race. But they Flat get a running Start while we re still in the starting blocks Berlusconi said in a recent television interview noting that his network is wholly dependent on commercial revenues. Under mammi s proposed Anil Trust Law Berlusconi would have to drop one of his stations but could broadcast live in the others. One of Rai s station would drop commercials altogether. Bul there s no predicting when or if mammi s proposal will be approved. One thing is certain italians Lake their television seriously Newsstands bristle Wilh to magazines and daily newspapers devote pages to what s on who s in and who s out. Berlusconi s channels roly heavily on recycled american soap operas Hollywood movies and reruns of professional Loo Ball and basketball games. Canale 5 also runs countless game and Lalk shows Rai has much of the same but pushed by Berlusconi s Competition has also poured Money into lavishly produced films and critically acclaimed miniseries such As la Para. The Story of a police chief s Battle with the mafia. The ratings War is waged on one main front the variety show and its my Gaspar Host. Last year. Berlusconi hired away Rai s Long reigning King Pippo Baudo and made him Host of the Friday night program festival. Baudo was replaced on bats saturday night fantasia co program by Singer Adriano Celentano who has embarrassed the network with a series of gaffes but also become a sudden cult hero and topic of National debate. Celentano has ally acted Between it million and 12 million viewers per show Down about � million irom Bauda s Rai audience last year. At Canate 5, Baudo s show averages Aboul b million viewers festival and fan Lankfo which run Lor Hrco hours and More consist mainly of Broadway style musical sketches and performances by pop singers standup comedians and off beat entertainers. While Baudo is the archetype of the Dapper professional emcee Celentano has shaken up Famas Ico with his unpredictable irreverent sly to the unshaven Host embarrassed Rai on his opening night by pausing interminably Between sen Lenics. Denouncing his american laundry detergent sponsor and chiding a guest soviet film director Lor Lack of artistic Freedom in the soviet Union in another incident the network fined him 200 million lire Aboul 1166,000 for telling his viewers in effect to deface their ballots during a National referendum. He contributed the same amount to aids research in a Goodwill gesture. In one recent program Celentano Lom viewers to turn off their Sels for five minutes to show support Tor the nuclear arms Accord signed a few Days earlier in Washington. Eight million people or two thirds of his audience dutifully followed the command. Accordina to Ida Nalion s audited ratings. Ccle Nuno is not the Only Ono to use television As a personal forum. Before leaving Rai Baudo lambasted network president Enrico Manca on the air. Essentially telling him to get lost for criticizing fan Rashcoe. Hostess Raffaella Carra for years considered Italy s most admired woman used her show to defend herself against accusations that she d abandoned her dying Mother. Another popular Lemale presenter Enrica Bonaccorsi announced her pregnancy on the air. Bolh women recently jumped irom Railo Canale 5. I Don t i link there s another country Wilh such an excessive negative Side Baudo said. But when i go abroad i realize that our to is the Best of All for Tho Quality and the Quantity. Our saturday Janua Rylo. 1988 the stars and stripes 1 Velevis Nis. Unit � Page 17
