High-Profile Departures from Italian Public Television: A New Chapter

It had been in the air for a while, but now it's official: Amadeus, the leading host of public television, is leaving Rai. He will not renew his contract expiring in August and, according to some rumors, he is ready to accept a maxi offer from the Warner Bros Discovery group to land on channel Nove. Over the years, the Italian television landscape has witnessed several significant changes, with many historic hosts choosing to leave Mamma Rai for new professional adventures. These farewells have often made news, not only for the popularity of the involved hosts but especially for the gossip that each time spread, in an attempt to provide (often fanciful) explanations for certain choices. In the last period, there have been several departures that have caused quite a stir. But it's impossible not to also mention some that are further back in the years, which at the time caused real earthquakes. One of the most emblematic cases was that of Michele Santoro, the journalist and host of political analysis programs like AnnoZero, who left Rai in 2011 after various conflicts with the company's management. Or Enrico Mentana, who before becoming the director of La7's news program had a long and illustrious career in Rai as a journalist and host of TG1. Finally, the great Mike Bongiorno who at the end of the '70s moved to Fininvest, hired directly by Silvio Berlusconi. But now let's move on to the more recent departures, which have caused a stir and made the headlines in the last few months. After the official announcement through a press release, Fabio Fazio last year bid farewell to Rai on the Sunday, May 14, 2023 episode of Che tempo che fa, confiding that he was full of enthusiasm for the new adventure at Discovery on Nove with Luciana Littizzetto that took place last autumn. "I have been at Rai for 40 years, however, one cannot be suitable for all seasons. Let's say there are no men suitable for all seasons, at least I don't believe so." Bianca Berlinguer resigned from Rai last summer to land at Mediaset. The journalist in a letter thanked the company "for 34 years of work, always carried out in full autonomy both as a director and as a host of in-depth programs". The daughter of the historic leader of the Communist Party currently hosts 2 programs on Rete 4, similar to those she hosted on public TV. Corrado Augias, at the venerable age of 88, announced his goodbye to Rai last November: "I'm moving to La7. From Monday, December 4. I gave in after years of courtship by Urbano Cairo and then also by the director Andrea Salerno. For the thrill of the challenge." Now at La7, he hosts "La torre di Babele", a program that is enjoying a fair success. Even Gramellini, a leading writer for Corriere della Sera, is among the big farewells to Rai of the last period, where he hosted the program "Le parole della settimana". He moved to La7, where together with his faithful companion Roberto Vecchioni he hosts "In altre parole", airing on Saturday and Sunday in prime time. Lucia Annunziata resigned from Rai in May 2023. The journalist, in the company from viale Mazzini since 1996, communicated her resignation to the CEO Roberto Sergio on the day when the board approved the new appointments. "I come to this choice without any personal complaint: you will now judge the work I have done over these years." However, she did not move to other television networks, unlike all the other characters mentioned before: apparently, Lucia Annunziata will run with the Democratic Party in the next European elections.