RAI beyond national boundaries: The case of ‘Comunità Radiotelevisiva Italofona’/‘Italophone Broadcasting Community’

In 1985, during a decade of many transnational television experiments in Europe, RAI launched a project in cooperation with public service broadcasters of neighbouring countries; the collaboration involved the Swiss public service (RSI) and the Yugoslavian experience of RTV Koper. This project was called ‘Comunità Radiotelevisiva Italofona’/‘Italophone Broadcasting Community’ because the aim was the promotion and development of Italian language and culture all across the world. The experience of Comunità Radiotelevisiva Italofona represents one of the clearest examples of the so-called ‘Italicity’, as defined by Bassetti – that is, the admixture between Italian culture and the foreign cultures with which it blends. The aim of this article is to retrace the history of this experience following multiple perspectives: an overview of the most significant transnational broadcasters that arose in Europe; the concept of ‘Italicity’ and the role of Italic and Italophone media in the world; the key stages and the most important changes in the history of Comunità Radiotelevisiva Italofona. Ideally, the result would be a complete overview of a project that has been primary in making Italian public service (and its international branches) and Italian culture known beyond national boundaries.