Silvio Berlusconi and the biased journalists

Monday, May 23 2011. Looks like too many Italian journalists have a soft spot for Silvio Berlusconi, as the Italian Authority for Communications Guarantees fines 5 news service on different TV broadcasters for sympathising a bit too much with the prime minister.

RAI TG1's head: Minzolini

As everyone knows, Silvio Berlusconi is the ultimate defender of democracy and democratic rights, so you would think he would not approve a biased TV service.

On the other hand, after a Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PdL) party and its Northern League (Lega Nord) ally suffered setbacks in the first turn of local election in several Italian cities (including the financial capital Milan, Berlusconi's home town), he needs all the possible support in order to fight back the communist hordes flooding his beloved country (before final run-off of local voting will take place on May 29-30).

To start his counter-offensive against the reddish enemy, Silvio Berlusconi delivered a string of interviews on several TV channels, last Friday, in order to warn Italian citizens about the extremists' threat and trying to gather in votes from the right-wingers.

But the visibility Silvio Berlusconi is receiving is not fair, according to Autorità per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni (Authority for Communications Guarantees, commonly known with the acronym AGCM). That's why Agcom has fined the involved broadcaster, totalling 800,000 euro (approx £700,000).

The involved TV broadcasters are – more or less – under Berlusconi's control, belonging to state-owned RAI or Berlusconi's Mediaset: RAI TG1 (is lead by Augusto Minzolini, one of the most loyal journalist around), RAI TG2, Canale5 TG5, Rete4 TG4 (lead by most loyal and greatest Berlusconi-worshipper ever, Emilio Fede) and Studio Aperto (Italia1 news service, who's head is Mario Giordano, another long-time partisan).

Mediaset has already stated that they will appeal against Agcom's decision, and it's hard to think that Berlusconi would keep silent: the battle will linger on, until the end of the month.

Berlusconi's interview on Studio Aperto

Video from our YouTube Channel: Berluschannel