Journalists to strike at RAI World Cup failure

A strike of editorial staff is planned by journalists at RAI, Italy’s public broadcasting company, in protest at the acquisition of the rights to show the national team by Sky Italia. Sky Italia, controlled by Rupert Murdoch, recently bought the rights to exclusive live coverage for 39 matches and non-exclusive for the remainder, at the FIFA World Cup 2006. The strike is planned for 4 June, the day RAI is due to cover the Italian national team’s World Cup qualifying match against Norway. Sky’s purchase was made after RAI failed to exercise an option to acquire the rights for the matches for nearly US$80m. Usigrai, the union of the journalists, has disagreed with the decision of RAI, ‘to cede to pay-television the whole of the 2006 World Cup compromising one of the strongest ties linking Italian viewers with Rai.’ The union said it was ‘unacceptable,‘ to allow football to be shown on ‘a pay-television channel accessible only to a minority’ of viewers.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.