RAI Head of Film and Drama on Dedicating More Space to European Series: U.S. Strikes Are ‘Creating a Gap, and I Want to Make My Mark’
variety.comNick Vivarelli International Correspondent Veteran RAI exec Adriano De Maio has been trying to shake things up at the Italian state broadcaster since last May, when he was appointed head of film and drama.
To contend with the unstoppable disruption caused by digital and streaming in Italy’s TV landscape, De Maio is trying to steer RAI toward programming that provides more cultural enrichment, while also catering to the youth demographic that drives traffic on the pubcaster’s RAI Play streaming platform — which has more than 23 million subscribers, way more than Netflix’s Italian customer base.
As RAI faces possible budget cuts due to the government’s decision to lower its license fee [RAI’s current allocation for film and TV series was not immediately available], De Maio sat down with Variety in Rome to discuss his vision for the scripted content he’d like RAI to acquire for its viewers.
If he has his way, they will probably be getting less Hollywood shows and more movies, some by U.S. directors. According to the Italian press your credo is: Less Hollywood TV shows, more space for European content and more support for Italian cinema.
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