09/05/2021
Italy pioneered community broadcasting in the libertarian 1970's, but it has also retained a popular state broadcaster, called RAI. This week, handsome and popular rapper Fedez was appearing on screen on an RAI Television network as part of a May Day rally. He wanted to condemn anti-gay policies pursued by the right wing League Party. However, Fedez reveals that RAI wanted to stop him from making a political statement. Fedez went ahead with his remarks anyway, which included reading out homophobic statements made by League politicians. We say well done to Fedez and note that it is vital that independent and community orientated radio stations continue to exist in many countries because of polities pursued by broadcast giants such as RAI. After the broadcaster denied censoring him, Fedez released a recorded phone call with a Rai executive who said his comments would be “inappropriate” and advised him to omit the names of the politicians he planned to criticise.
