Govt to name two professionals for RAI president, CEO says Renzi

(ANSA) - Kyoto, August 4 - Premier Matteo Renzi pledged Tuesday that "professional-level" appointments will be made at public broadcaster RAI, including a new president and CEO.
    The appointments will be made on Wednesday as previously promised, Renzi added during a visit to Japan where he met Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. "These will be professional level (nominations), with competence and independence as it should be," said Renzi.
    Last week, his cabinet lost an important vote in the Lower House on reforms to RAI and although these were later approved in the Senate,the loss was a political blow. Meanwhile, in a post on his blog Tuesday, Beppe Grillo, head of the 5-Star Movement (M5S) political party, proposed TV executive Carlo Freccero as a director for public broadcaster RAI.
    Grillo added that the government has rushed the process of naming new executives to RAI. "There has not been the time required for start a serious process," wrote Grillo, who often communicates through his blog posts.
    While Renzi on Tuesday would not name new leadership for public broadcaster RAI he acknowledged he had high regard for one potential candidate.
    Antonio Campo Dall'Orto is "highly professional, among the most interesting innovators of Italian television, a name with the highest value that matches the criteria of quality, authority and capacity...but we will see," Renzi said.
    He added that his government had "no alternative" on the renewal of public broadcaster RAI. And any delays would be bad for an organization with 3-billion euro budget, he said.
    That explains why a new board of directors and senior executives are being appointed under the existing system rather than waiting for reforms to be completed, said Renzi.
    His government's reforms are now working their way through Italy's parliament.