Italian public broadcaster RAI had total losses of €408 million in the period 2008-2012, despite a 7.9 per cent increase in the TV licence fee and total proceeds of €8.3 billion.

During the same period, according to a study published by Mediobanca Research & Studies, profits at commercial broadcaster Mediaset reached €1.021 million, while pay-TV operator Sky Italia had €802 million in profits.

During the five-year period, Mediaset also distributed €1.193 million in dividends to shareholders, Sky Italia distributed €630 million, while the last time RAI earned a profit for the Treasury was back in 2004.

In RAI’s 2012 budget, licence fee revenues – due to progressive increases in recent years – reached a record €1.729 million (64 per cent of total turnover), but they could not compensate for the decline in advertising revenue, down 37.3 per cent in five years. RAI’s turnover dropped 14.7 per cent, from €3.137 million in 2008 to €2.677 million in 2012.

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