La7 journalists to remain under new ownership
Cairo Communications in talks for Italy's 4th commercial channel
19 February, 13:24
(ANSA) - Rome, February 19 - Italian businessman Urbano
Cairo said Tuesday that the editorial line of TV broadcaster La7
would not change under his ownership after the board of
directors of Telecom Italia approved exclusive negotiations to
sell the channel to his Cairo Communications.
Italy's fourth and smallest commercial channel is known for
its independent and often hard-hitting journalistic content.
"I am not going to give away the best players, those that
increase viewing numbers and give us visibility on the market,"
said the chairman of Torino football club.Cairo added that he had no intention of following in the footsteps of his adversary Silvio Berlusconi, who in the past has allegedly used his political and economic clout to 'purge' his three private Mediaset channels and state broadcaster RAI of journalists critical of his government and policies. Several subsequently migrated to La7.
Meanwhile Berlusconi accused centre-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani of making a "Mafia-style warning" by calling for the La7 sale to be postponed till after the elections so as to allegedly hurt Mediaset. Telecom's TI Media subsidiary fell over 8% on the Milan exchange during morning trading on Thursday following the decision by Telecom Italia, Italy's biggest telecommunications company, not to consider an expression of interest by Italian businessman Diego della Valle in the channel. The price of shares in Cairo Communications instead rose by over 3%. Telecom Italia said it intended to sell La7 as part of a debt-trimming operation last May.
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