TV channels Italy

Italian television has been shaped by a long duopoly between the public broadcaster RAI and the commercial pole built by Mediaset, and underneath those two giants sits one of Europe's densest forests of local stations, grown up after the liberalization of the airwaves in the 1970s. Music television here came from the radio brands, shopping television from dedicated networks, and the Senate keeps its own camera running.

RAI, the public service

Rai 1 is the flagship of Radiotelevisione Italiana, carrying national news, drama, entertainment and the events the whole country watches together. Rai 2 is the second general channel, Rai 3 the third, with a cultural and strongly regional identity, Rai 4 runs fiction and entertainment, and Rai 5 is devoted to art and culture. Rai News 24 is the broadcaster's rolling news service, Rai Sport and Rai Sport 2 hold sport, Rai Gulp is the channel for younger viewers, and Rai Storia works through history and documentaries. Rai Südtirol broadcasts for the German-speaking community of South Tyrol.

Mediaset and the other national signals

Canale 5 is the flagship of Mediaset, Italy's largest private broadcaster, built on entertainment, fiction and news. Italia 1 is the group's second channel, aimed at a younger audience with series, films and music. La7 made its name with in-depth news and current affairs, Cielo Tv carries entertainment, and TV8 adds another national general signal.

Radio brands that crossed over to television

Italian music television is largely an extension of radio. 105 TV is the television arm of Radio 105, Deejay Tv belongs to Radio Deejay, and RTL 102.5 Tv is the screen of RTL 102.5, the country's most listened-to station. Radio Monte Carlo TV carries the Monte Carlo brand, while RSDTV, RAV - Radio Antenna Verde TV, Radio Pescara TV and Standby TV keep music running from their own regions.

News around the clock

Sky TG24 is Sky Italia's 24-hour news channel and one of the country's reference points for continuous coverage. Euronews Italy brings the European agenda in Italian, Info Media News works the news wire, and TeleBari combines news with Bari's local agenda.

Sport

Sportitalia is the national sports channel, covering football, motorsport and live events. Top Calcio 24 devotes itself to football around the clock, Rete8 Sport is the sports screen of Rete8, Abruzzo's historic regional broadcaster, Luna Sport adds further coverage, and CSI Web Tv is the web television of CSI Milano, the city's amateur sports centre.

Shopping, faith and the university

QVC Italia is the Italian version of the home shopping network, and Canale Italia, Italia Channel 123, GM24 and Tesory Channel fill the same shelf. Motori TV covers cars and engines. On the religious side, Padre Pio TV broadcasts spiritual programming from San Giovanni Rotondo, Hope Channel Italia is the Italian branch of the Adventist network, and TCI Italia and TRBC add further Christian programming. Education has UniNettuno University TV, the channel of the international distance-learning university, with lectures and courses.

The regional forest

The islands have their own voices: Videolina, the historic channel of Sardinia, Antenna Sicilia, InSiciliaTV, Rei TV and Telesirio in Sicily, and Telesud Trapani TV on the island's western tip. In the south, TCS Telecolore speaks for Salerno and Campania, Antenna Sud, TeleBari, Telemajg and TeleDehon for Apulia, LaC TV, Teleuropa Network and Prima Tivvù for Calabria, TeleRadioStereo and Lucania TV for Basilicata, and TLT Molise for Molise. The centre is covered by Primocanale and Telenord in Liguria, Tele Liguria Sud on its southern coast, TVL in Pistoia, RTV38 in Florence, Arezzo TV, Siena TV and TV Siena in Tuscany, Retesole TV Lazio, Canale 10 on the Roman coast, Metropolis TV and TeleCiociaria 178 in Lazio, Tef Channel, TRG and PromovideoTV in Umbria, TVRS, ÈTv Marche and ÈTv+ Marche in the Marche. Emilia-Romagna has éTv Rete 7 and DI.TV 92 around Bologna, 12 TV Parma, TV Qui Modena and TeleRadioErre, while Lombardy and the north are served by Bergamo TV, Milanow Tv, TVS Televallassina, Teletutto, Quartarete TV and TVA Vicenza, by VideoTeleCarnia in Friuli, by TV7 Triveneta across the north-east, and by Alto Adige Tv and Südtirol TV in South Tyrol. Astra TV, Ora TV, Onda TV, TeleBoario Canale, Rete Oro, Arcoiris TV, NTI Canale 271, TV 105, TV7 Azzurra, Telegenova, Canale 2, Canale 3, Canale 7, Esperia TV, AGR TV, Rmk TV, TizianaLotto, TeleRegione TV, Rtc Quarta Rete, Campania Felix TV, SL48 canale, LAQTV, ITV, Uno TV, Tele Radio Maristella, Diktyo-era local brands and Super! for children complete the picture.

The Senate on air

Senato WebTV is the web television of the Italian Senate, broadcasting sittings and parliamentary work directly from Rome.