Abstract

This article looks over the role played by radio and television broadcasting in the cultural unification of Italian society. Analogies with the experiences of other major European countries are outlined as well as distinctive features: the socio-economic factors holding back the radio development and those giving a speedy timing at television'; the role of Italian as a common language in the 'universal' broadcasting supply; the broadcasting governance and the choices of political system, during fascism before and in the constitutional republic after the second world war. Attention is drawn to the industrial and 'Italian' features of programmes broadcast, the audience results and to the nation building role of broadcasting with the social and cultural impact of its "interest nationally centred". The segmentation of 'television Italy' for a governance marked by the political parties role in state broadcasting company and by the personal and political role gainedby the owner of private side of TV duopoly, is finally considered.