Press releases

PAR CONDICIO: MEDIASET CONSIDERS UNFOUNDED TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT BY AGCOM AND WILL APPEAL / FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AND BUSINESS FREEDOM UNDER THREAT

PAR CONDICIO: MEDIASET CONSIDERS UNFOUNDED
TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT BY AGCOM AND WILL APPEAL

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AND BUSINESS FREEDOM UNDER THREAT

Mediaset expressed concern at today's announcement by Agcom regarding commercial TV which extends also to background and current affairs programmes the concept of "equal airtime" for political communication, in violation of Law N° 28/2000 as interpreted by sentence n. 155/02 of the Constitutional Court.

The Constitutional Court has in fact clarified, beyond all reasonable doubt and with special reference to commercial broadcasters, that the concept of "equal airtime" can not result in the suppression of the freedom to represent thoughts in news programmes on the basis of the visibility of political parties.

Agcom has made its own the regulation issued by the Parliamentary Commission of Control for state broadcasters which corresponds to constitutional principles and is governed by norms different to those that apply to commercial operators.

Consequently, the automatic extension of the norms concerning "equal airtime" as applied to the state broadcaster to the commercial sector is wholly without foundation.

Mediaset will appeal in the appropriate quarters, with a view to avoiding the serious consequences this would have on its freedom to publish and to operate, both of which are constitutionally guaranteed.

Cologno Monzese, February 24, 2010

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