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Rai
International has been broadcasting from Rome to the rest of the world
for the past 72 years.
In the 1930's Italy was one of the first countries to begin
international short-wave broadcasts. Guglielmo Marconi, the man who
invented radio, oversaw the construction of the first short-wave
transmitter at Prato Smeraldo outside Rome on July 1st 1930. Four
years later two more transmitters were completed and broadcasts began
in English and Italian to North America. In 1935 broadcasting of
programmes in Italian, Portuguese and Spanish began to South America.
In 1939, after the completion of six new transmitters, programmes in
English were beamed to the Far East, Europe and countries around the
Mediterranean. It is from the short-wave radio centre at Rome-Porto
Smeraldo that all Rai International's programmes are broadcast.
During the Second World War to the original aim of linking Italy with
the vast community of Italian migrants around the world were added the
political and strategic motives for international broadcasting common
to all the Great Powers, beginning with the former colonial nations:
France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, the Soviet Union and the
United States. After Italy entered the war short-wave broadcasts were
suspended following the armistice signed with the Allies on September
8th 1943 and were only resumed on September 3rd 1946 with the
broadcast of news bulletins in English, Italian, French, Portuguese
and Spanish.
A 1962 law allocated management of international short-wave
broadcasts, for which a special committee of the Cabinet Office is
responsible, to state broadcaster Rai. As the years went by the
programmes lost their character of official - sometimes even
propaganda - broadcasts to become a news source that fully reflects
the democratic nature of the Italian Republic. Today Radio Roma offers
a comprehensive news service on Italian politics, society and culture,
not least within the context of the European Union.
In 1975 the setting up of a special management section for foreign
broadcasting and journalism laid the foundations for significant
development of the sector. Subsequently the existing services for
foreign broadcasting were expanded to include Rai International's
new intercontinental television channels. In the near future Rai
International is destined to be transformed into an autonomous company
within state broadcaster Rai.
English language programmes
In addition to Italian Rai International currently broadcasts news
programmes in 25 languages.
There are five daily news bulletins in English for the Americas,
Europe, North Africa and the Far East.
Programmes for the Americas begin every day at 00.40 CET with the
Italian language news broadcast Giornale dall'Italia followed by
Taccuino Italiano at 01.05 CET. The English language news bulletin to
North America is broadcast at 01.55 CET (00.55 GMT/UTC) on the
frequencies of 9675 and 11800 kHz.
English language broadcasts to East Africa may be heard at 22.25 CET
(20.25 GMT/UTC) on the frequencies of 5985, 9515 and 11880 kHz.
In the Mediterranean Basin and North Africa the English news bulletin
may be heard at 05.45 CET (04.45 GMT/UTC) on the frequencies of 6100.
In Europe the news in English is broadcast at 20.35 CET (19.35
GMT/UTC) on the frequencies of 5965 and 9755 kHz.
In the Far East, Asia and Japan the news bulletin in English may be
heard at 23.05 CET (22.05 GMT/UTC) on the frequencies of 11895 kHz.
English language news broadcasts to Europe and the Mediterranean Basin
may also be heard on Rai International's multi-lingual satelite
channel on this website.
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