Italy's Rai Scuola closure sparks opposition outcry over 'identity narrative'

The closure of Rai Scuola, a public broadcasting channel that has operated for over twenty years, has ignited a fierce backlash from opposition parties in Italy. They decry the move as a scandal, arguing that the channel performed a vital informational role. However, public broadcasting management dismisses these accusations, framing the decision not as a cancellation but as a "valorization" that will involve a more robust presence on RaiPlay.

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A one-color Rai, is this the game being played

The Democratic Party (Pd) has submitted a parliamentary inquiry, urging the government to intervene to prevent the project, which they claim erases "a public service heritage, thanks to programming dedicated to scientific, environmental, and cultural dissemination and highly valuable internal professionals." The Five Star Movement (M5s) also criticizes the plan, viewing it as an attempt by the center-right to "occupy" public service broadcasting. "A one-color Rai, is this the game being played," attacked M5s's Barbara Floridia, a former chair of the oversight committee. She stated that the plan aims to make space for a channel focused on Italian identity, territories, traditions, and excellences.

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Telling Italy's story is certainly not a problem. The problem arises when public service dismantles an educational and cultural institution to replace it with an identity narrative decided by a government that has accustomed us to historical revisionism for years.

"Telling Italy's story is certainly not a problem. The problem arises when public service dismantles an educational and cultural institution to replace it with an identity narrative decided by a government that has accustomed us to historical revisionism for years," Floridia commented. Rai, in its defense, presented viewership data, showing Rai Scuola garnered only about 0.10% in the early months of the year. These figures, Rai argues, "highlight the limitations of linear television as a tool to reach the school-going public broadly and systematically."

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highlight the limitations of linear television as a tool to reach the school-going public broadly and systematically.

Rai explained that the new "RaiPlay Scuola e Learning" project, unanimously approved by the Rai board, moves beyond the linear model to develop an integrated digital platform. This platform will consolidate productions from Rai Cultura, the Rai archives, and existing educational content into an on-demand ecosystem for both classrooms and homes. However, Rai board member Roberto Natale accused the company of "culpable silence" regarding the project, noting that he had previously emphasized the need for an adequate information campaign to avoid external focus solely on the digital terrestrial channel's discontinuation, which he said is happening as predicted. The Democratic Party remains unconvinced, with Senator Francesco Verducci stating that canceling Rai Scuola would be a "clear violation of the service contract and another desecration of public service by Tele-Meloni."

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culpable silence