Like its founder, Mediaset is tacky, unfairly advantaged—and resilient

It being that on the political side once again this Supposedly Authoritative Magazine (SAM) bet on the wrong horse, an article about Berlusconi TV's is a good idea to vent your rancour against him: after reading it, one might be led to think "poor Murdoch".

The revealing sentence in the article is "mediaset has already shown greater strategic cunning than any other broadcaster in Europe or America". Why not admit that Berlusconi has also shown "greater strategic cunning" than most mainstream media as far as politcs is concerned.
Frankly, trying the "poor Murdoch" strategy to spite Berlusconi looks going a lot too far.

Wont you ever take a less biased look into Italy?

As an Italian and an old reader of SAM I totally agree with ermy73.

The point for Berlusconi's success is that he is by far much more intelligent than his competiros and certainly he will succeed in carrying on his governemet till the end of the legislation in 2013. Fini has already shown his limits and incapacity and Casini is even worse always ready to go with whowever is offering him more advantages, the typical school of the democristians where Casini comes from. The intelligence of Berlusconi has permitted his success in all fields before he entered politis, namely real estate, television, banking, insurance and so on.

you forgot to mention that the government forced a change in television broadcasting, swithing it from analogic to digital. this is a great competitive advantage for mediaset, which broadcasts its channels via cable. Sky, on the other end, relies on satellite dishes, which means that whoever wants to buy a Sky offer must install a dish on his roof.

...and the United States Department of State side of Berlusconi:

http://viableopposition.blogspot.com/2010/12/wikileaks-prime-minister-be...

Berlusconi can take his ritzy shows to Hilliary where he can bare his buttock to Hilliary in defiance of her sneer of irreverent ineffectuality.

This article means a single thing only:democracy is not in danger in Italy,for the moment.

The connections between Berlusconi and his media empire would not be tolerated in many other countries, especially European ones. He controls much of the television sector, but it extends to the internet and the print media as well.

And yet still he blames the "leftist media" for his problems when a scandal breaks, often at odds with his own pundits (read: employees) on mediaset channels. It is a testament to the possibilities of spin.

In a slightly related (although different)situation, Sarah Palin appears to be spinning her own media web. She appears in her own "reality" show on learning channel in the States, which could be construed either as an attempt to continue her ride on the gravy train of post-VP nomination goodies or as one to draw in more of the electorate and show them her life "as it truly is."

Perhaps she could take lessons in spin from good old Berlusco? She already picked up his penchant for blaming the very media she constantly plays into, including the usually-sacred-to-conservatives Fox News channel (and Bill O'Reily).

All fine and good, competition is a great thing, except one small details: Mr. Berlusconi runs the country and has done so for most of the last 16 years.
His control of the media, in particular is almost total control of TV, commercial and - by proxy - state-owned, is what keeps him in power.
Can we call it a democracy ?
I would appreciate hearing some remarks about that from the leaders of "fellow" democracies, please interfere.

'And here is again, the pompous, boring Girolamo and his SAM.'

SAM SPAM?

buenaonda

have you ever seen Italian TV?

Journalists at FOX news are beginner respect Italian Journalists as SANTORO, TRAVAGLIO, MAURO....

from the comunist period we call RAI 3 TELEKABUL.

Murdock is the owner of FOX us and SKYtg24 in italy.

"la REPUBBLICA" is worst than FOX news, from 1st to 7th page they write only against BERLUSCONI.

You can't write against you PM us italians jouralist do daily.

I am no fan of "Papi" Berlusconi.

However I can't help but notice that there was some news coverage of his passing the "vote of no confidence" but a short while ater that there was a news ticker at the bottom of screen (which no one notices!) that there has been an increase in sentence of the scores of CIA guys who were involved in illegal rendition. Sometimes the most important news are the ones you don't pay attention to!

Which raises a troubling question? How much was this no confidence drama due to American pressure? One would never know!

Tassi, I'm not sure if I understand what you mean in your last sentence, but if you are saying that English journalists cannot criticise the English PM every day if they want to, then you're quite wrong. It's one of the functions of journalists, checking the abuse of power by the powerful. You seem so upset by the terrible Santoro, but he's an urbane and courteous gentleman compared with what the BBC would unleash on Berlusconi, if they ever got the chance. Not because they're communists, but because they're proper journalists.

what is the point of this article?
a ha... the fact that Italy has slow internet connections....
so it takes a couple of years for Italians to read this sarcastic article..

I'm sorry I used a wrong word, I meant to slander, calumny...

Your journalist do, but not so much and so free as Italians do

Spartacas

Our internet connections has the same problem of Uk connections, the fact is that we prefer to use mobil phone, olso for internet.

Why you don't write taht SKYitalia revenue is bigger than Mediaset revenue?

Why You don't write that Rai, first TV group in Italy, has the CANONE (TV TAX)?

Why You don't write that Mediaset up to last year has only advertising as revenue? Not the others?

Why the TELECINCO (mediaset in Spain) revenue is not inclusive of CUATRO's and spanish Sat TV's revenue , both newly acquiredby mediaset form PRISA this summer?

Why you don't write that Mediaset can't have satelite channels but SKY has sitelite channels and terrestrial channel, rent from Esspresso group?

Why you don't write that in Italy we have the higer number of TV channels in Europe, we have 850 channels?

Why you don't write that Italian news papers have subsides from the government, and Mediaset has only taxes?

News Corporation failed once in their 'GO CHINA' move. One can search the 'StarTV', China Communist Party fooled Murdoch with their state power.
Every country subjects to protectionism......

Berlusconi sponsors the media in the same way the Julio-Claudian Emperors encouraged monumental art in Rome, the Medici patronised the Renaissance in Florence & the Farnese, della Rovere Popes financed Baroque. What an odd mix of cult for beauty, scandal, intrigue, personality cult & religion!!!

Italy remained the same & this is what The Economist from cold Barbarian secularised Britain will NEVER understand ...or live! Keep it up Silvio! Bravo!

Dear Italians
There is no point in making SAM look evil here. If Italy had a decent growth rate, employment or any other positive economic/social indicator, you can bet SAM would not miss it.
But the truth is, Italy is wasting time and money on its PMs parties rather than competing with others around the world.

I think the article was rather soft on Mediaset.
E.g. When other political parties are in power they have bigger problems to solve than cut down Mediaset.