The ruling coalition on Wednesday split in a vote in the parliamentary commission overseeing RAI over the fact that the head of the Italian State broadcaster has two roles.
The 5-Star Movement (M5S) presented a petition for RAI President Marcello Foa to quit from his role at the helm of Rai Com, the company that handles the sale and distribution of RAI programmes around the world.
The petition was approved with 21 votes in favour but the League members on the commission were among the nine to vote against.
Deputy Premier and M5S leader Luigi Di Maio said the State broadcaster needs an overhaul.
"It is necessary to approve a law that breaks the tie between the political world and RAI," said Di Maio, who is also labour and industry minister.
"The M5S has already presented a bill and we are ready to debate it.
"The public TV network belongs to the citizens, the people who pay the licence fee, not to politicians.
"Either we approve our law, which aims to break the circuit of the political world and public service, rewarding merit and transparency, or we scrap the licence fee.
"RAI reform is in the contract of government". Fellow Deputy Premier and League leader Matteo Salvini outlined his vision for the State broadcaster too.
"The huge salaries (of some people) at RAI can and must be cut," Salvini said.
"External productions must be reduced and the overbearing power of the agents, which dictate the terms of contracts and schedules, must be slashed too.
"A League resolution has already been presented".
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