Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04ROME1935
2004-05-19 11:30:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Rome
Cable title:  

ITALY ENACTS CONTROVERSIAL MEDIA SECTOR REFORM BILL

Tags:  ECPS ETRD PGOV IT EUN 
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UNCLAS ROME 001935 

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR EB/CIP


COMMERCE FOR NTIA-CSPECK
JUSTICE FOR ANTITRUST-CWILLNER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECPS ETRD PGOV IT EUNJ
SUBJECT: ITALY ENACTS CONTROVERSIAL MEDIA SECTOR REFORM
BILL

Ref: A) 03 Rome 5557 B) 03 Rome 5639

UNCLAS ROME 001935

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR EB/CIP


COMMERCE FOR NTIA-CSPECK
JUSTICE FOR ANTITRUST-CWILLNER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECPS ETRD PGOV IT EUNJ
SUBJECT: ITALY ENACTS CONTROVERSIAL MEDIA SECTOR REFORM
BILL

Ref: A) 03 Rome 5557 B) 03 Rome 5639


1. Summary. President Ciampi signed the new text of the
Berlusconi government's controversial media reform bill -
known as the Gasparri Law - on May 4, after having rejected
an earlier version on grounds of unconstitutionality (ref
b). Critics argue that the law was designed exclusively to
allow PM Berlusconi to legitimize his media holdings and to
expand his empire. They maintain that the law is
unconstitutional and say they will appeal to the
Constitutional Court and, if necessary, to EU authorities.
The GOI, on the other hand, insists that the law is
innovative, will promote competition, and will encourage
the adoption of new technology.


2. The Gasparri Law is based on the concept that the
media/communications market is one broad sector. Under the
law's provisions, no single operator will be able to
receive more than 20 percent of overall revenues from the
entire sector. In addition, the law establishes a new
governing and management structure for the national network
RAI (the state-owned radio and television broadcasting
conglomerate) along with provisions that would allow for
RAI's gradual privatization. End Summary.

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A Broad Definition of the Media Sector
--------------


3. Although the bill was amended from the original version
(ref A),the Gasparri Law still has the "SIC" (integrated
system of communications) as one of its key elements. The
SIC envisions the communications/media sector as one broad
sector to include, but not be limited to, television and
radio broadcasting, the press, and the Internet. The
Gasparri law provides that no single operator may generate
more than 20 percent of overall SIC revenues. An exception
remains for former national telecom operator Telecom Italia
(which owns TV station La 7),which is subject to a tighter
ten percent cap on SIC returns. While the law allows
cross-ownership in television and the press, entities that
already own more than one national television station are
not allowed to purchase newspapers prior to the end of 2010
(a two-year extension from the bill's original provisions).


4. The SIC is the most controversial aspect of the
Gasparri law. Many claim that such a broad definition of

the media/communications sector was designed exclusively to
allow PM Berlusconi's media empire to expand further.
Critics contend that it will be virtually impossible to
measure and/or monitor the 20 percent cap. Even those who
support the law concur that measuring the cap will be
challenging (Note: the Communication Authority is tasked
with monitoring overall SIC revenues). In addition, while
the law does prohibit a company from establishing a
dominant position in any individual market (for example
television broadcasting),the definition of "dominance"
appears to be very elastic and difficult to define.

--------------
Analog to Digital
--------------


5. The law's final version preserved the requirement that
television broadcasting switch from analog transmission to
digital by the end of 2006. Digital offers approximately
five times greater transmission capacity than analog does.
According to the GOI, in addition to better quality
transmission, digital will encourage new market entrants,
and thus make the sector more competitive and pluralistic.


6. This provision also has met with criticism. Some
industry experts have argued that transferring to digital
will require significant up-front investments and that
certain technical difficulties (for example, the capacity
of household antennas to receive digital) have been
underestimated. Critics also have contended that digital
does not inherently increase competition since such
channels are unlikely to offer significantly different
content that could challenge the dominance of PM
Berlusconi's Mediaset channels and the RAI channels.


7. RAI and Mediaset dominate the television market, each


owning three (for a total of six) of the eleven national
channels. Italy's Constitutional Court had ruled that
Mediaset had to give up one station - or otherwise convert
it to a much less profitable satellite network - and that
RAI's third channel had to survive without advertisement.
Some argue that with the conversion to digital, Mediaset
will not have to give up one channel, nor will RAI 3 have
to go without advertisement. (RAI and Mediaset will now
"only" own six out of expected 30-35 channels following
"digitalization" and, thus, will no longer be dominant).

--------------
Privatization of State-Owned RAI
--------------


8. The Gasparri Law states that, within six months from
its enactment, the first trance of RAI shares would be
auctioned. No single investor will be able to hold more
than one percent of RAI. In addition, RAI will not be able
to spin off company assets prior to January 1, 2006. RAI
has also been mandated to use its public financing to
provide more public service broadcasting. The completion
of RAI's privatization is not specified in the law, but
sector contacts believe this will be a long process, and
that RAI will remain in public hands for the foreseeable
future.


9. Other significant elements contained in the Gasparri
Law include provisions relating to ownership of local
television stations, protection of minors, and
advertisement ceilings.

--------------
Market Implications
--------------


10. Government contacts have told us that the Gasparri Law
is an innovative piece of legislation which promotes new
media and communication technologies, provides
opportunities for new entrants in the media sector, thus
allowing greater pluralism, and is consistent with the
Government's pro-market approach by envisioning the
privatization of RAI.


11. Communications Ministry and regulatory officials have
acknowledged that the law does affect a sector where PM
Berlusconi has his most significant business interests.
Nonetheless, they argued that the media sector was long
overdue for a modernized legal and regulatory regime. In
an oblique reference to the perceived "hand-out" to the
Prime Minister, Communications Minister Gasparri, in a
press interview, said that he would have liked to see the
conflict of interest law approved prior to his
media/communications reform law. Once the conflict of
interest law is enacted, this will complete the legal
framework of the media/communications sector, he stated.
(Note: The conflict of interest bill is now with the
Chamber of Deputies' Culture Commission after having been
approved by the Senate).


12. Technical experts at Communications Authority and in
industry said that the law does in fact promote
technological changes and provides greater opportunities
for new entrants. At the same time, they also underscored
that existing actors, and PM Berlusconi's Mediaset in
particular, are bound to make the most of the possibilities
offered by the law. They also argued that the law
"burdens" RAI with public service requirements that will
make it less competitive with respect to Mediaset.
Defining and measuring the SIC appeared to be of the
greatest concern to these experts.

--------------
Comment
--------------


13. The Gasparri bill took two years to get through
Parliament. Throughout the debate, political
considerations have largely overshadowed the bill's
technical merits. It will take considerable time to assess
its real impact upon competition and fair play in the
Italian market. End Comment.


SKODON


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2004ROME01935 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED