'Govt won't change rules on RaiWay'

(ANSA) - Rome, February 26 - Premier Matteo Renzi said Thursday that he won't change the rules set last year for ownership of RaiWay, which controls the transmission towers and antennas for public broadcaster RAI. "You have to consider (financial) market operations, not politics," said Renzi. A company owned by ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi, Ei Towers, had bid for a two-thirds control of RaiWay. However, when it was placed on financial markets last year, government rules said RAI must keep 51% ownership.
    "The government has put certain rules in place and it does not intend to modify them," the center-left premier said.
    Also on Thursday, sources said the RaiWay board of directors will meet later this afternoon in an emergency session following the tender offer by Berlusconi's Mediaset.
    Mediaset said Wednesday that its broadcasting network operator Ei Towers has made a cash and stock offer on RaiWay, valuing the target company at 4.50 euros a share, or 1.22 billion euros.