Italian journalists union FNSI on Sunday called for new antitrust laws in the media sector amid reports that the owner of three of Italy's leading conservative newspapers is aiming to take over liberal daily la Repubblica, its Agnelli group stablemate Radio Capital and Italy's second biggest news agency AGI, owned by State-controlled energy giant Eni.
Leftwing newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano reported that Antonio Angelucci, owner of former Berlusconi daily Il Giornale and another two top rightwing newspaper, Libero and Il Tempo, was aiming to expand his media empire by acquiring the three outlets, spurring alarm on the political Left.
Angelucci, the king of Roman and Lazio health clinics, is an MP for Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini's rightwing League party.
"In Italy we need laws on conflicts of interest and antitrust limits, not laws that gag information," said FNSI in relation also to a government bill that would ban the publication of the contents of preventative-detention warrants."
After the latest news published by Il Fatto Quotidiano on the ambitions of League MP Angelucci regarding Agi, Radio capital and even la Repubblica, it is clear that serious legislation in this direction can no longer be put off".
FNSI said it would be "unprecedented" that an outlet like AGI, which is owned by economy ministry-controlled Eni, could effectively be sold by Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti, a League heavyweight, to a member of his party.AGI staff have threatened mobilization against the rumoured takeover, which they said would jeopardize journalists' independence.
photo: FNSI Chair Vittorio Di Trapani
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