RaiUno

In this new setting, in which competition is becoming increasingly fierce, not only has RaiUno confirmed its leadership in the television system, it has also maintained its viewing figures almost stable: 21.2% in the whole day and 22.3% for prime time.

Despite the context of a general economic and financial recession which has implicated the reduction of investments in the product, the "flagship channel" has succeeded in coping with the switchover and satisfying the needs of an increasingly attentive audience, without sacrificing the quality of its offering and consequently its activity as public service broadcaster. The sobriety, authority and attention to social issues that have always inspired Rai's broadcasting style have been accentuated and consolidated.

In this light, the channel's programming during the whole day pursued the aims of the broadcasting profile: combining tradition and innovation, expanding the viewer basin to new audiences, representing Italy's constantly evolving social-cultural identity and confirming its most characteristic aspects, such as reliability, closeness and ability to arouse emotion.

During day time television, the big containers and talk shows Uno Mattina, Festa Italiana and La Vita in diretta were re-proposed, with renewed language, style and, in some cases, presenters, and were joined by the new Saturday afternoon talk show Le amiche del sabato, and programmes like Occhio alla spesa, La prova del cuoco and Verdetto Italiano, which succeed in creating public loyalty, thanks to their provision of information, entertainment and the proposal of popular themes and narrative styles. The early evening time slot continued to be occupied by the triumphant L'Eredità while Affari Tuoi was confirmed in the access slot.

With the passage to DTT and the debut of numerous new competitors with theme-based and general-interest offerings, the role of this type of day time programme represents a fundamental part of the general-interest offering, in that it develops a direct relationship with the public, without however overlooking moments of fun and playfulness. With this in mind, the channel has built up a new structure for Sunday programming with the moment of confrontation, Domenica in l'Arena, that of entertainment, Domenica in 7 giorni, and that of the quiz L'Eredità in the Sunday edition.

Another strength of the channel's offering, also within the new competitive setting, is represented by the late evening analysis of news and information which, with Bruno Vespa's Porta a Porta, covered political, social and current issues, with occasional broadcasts during prime time to coincide with events of particular importance, including the specials on the earthquake in L'Aquila ad those on the dramatic events surrounding Eluana Englaro. News and information programming was completed with the traditional summer and Christmas prime time appointments with Superquark, presented brilliantly by Piero Angela.

As regards prime time, in the new digital prospective, the weights of the various television genres are also destined to evolve on the scale of the general-interest offering: the role of company-produced fiction and that of entertainment, with which RaiUno's programming is already strongly associated has been further enhanced, while a lesser role is taken on by fiction purchased from other producers and several sporting events for which the development of the pay TV offering and the consequent rise in the costs for broadcasting rights rule out exclusive acquisitions.

The prime time programming of 2009 reflects this trend with a significant offering of company-produced fiction, which has achieved an average of around 23%, and of entertainment, with an average of 23.3%, including special evening events like Miss Italia and Premio regia TV but excluding the Sanremo Music Festival.

TV series

The offering of Rai-produced TV series, which covered 135 prime time slots, was entrusted, as in the past, to miniseries devoted to historical, bibliographic and literary themes (Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Di Vittorio, Enrico Mattei, David Copperfield, Pinocchio, Sangue dei Vinti, Lo Smemorato di Collegno, Bakita etc.), while longer running TV series reproposed classic titles of consolidated success like Don Matteo, Un medico in famiglia and Butta la luna, alongside highly innovative titles like Tutti pazzi per amore and Il commissario Manara, which tested new narrative languages, securing the interest also of a younger audience. Finally, the whole weekend programme line-up was confirmed: with Sabato & domenica, and the usual Saturday slots, followed by Domenica in presented by Pippo Baudo, Massimo Giletti and Lorena Bianchetti. However the weekend too offered space for experimentation, on Saturday morning, with Pongo & Peggy gli animali del cuore: confirming the network's strong vocation for renewal.

Entertainment

RaiUno pursued two priorities in entertainment too, covering a total of 113 evenings: maintaining leadership also in this specific genre, respecting a sombre broadcasting style, attentive to the family target, and identifying new proposals to renew and improve the list of titles and also respond to the challenge of the new television languages imposed by the new digital setting. Classics such as Ballando con le stelle, Affari tuoi speciale, I Raccomandati and the highly successful titles experimented during the previous season, I migliori anni and Ti lascio una canzone were confirmed. Innovation regarded certain formats like Dimmi la verità, I sogni son desideri, Mettiamoci all'opera, reproposing brief event-cycles in the "one man show" style, considered as research and actualisation of those pleasant and elegant atmospheres of the variety shows of days gone by which the public, including younger viewers, is rediscovering and appreciating. This context comprises Da Nord a Sud with Vincenzo Salemme and Grazie a tutti with Gianni Morandi.

A map of RaiUno

Emotions: Lo Smemorato di Collegno, Bakita, L'uomo che cavalcava nel buio, I sogni son desideri, Grazie a tutti

Commitment: Giuseppe Di Vittorio, Butta la Luna 2, Enrico Mattei, Un caso di coscienza 4, Speciali Porta a Porta, Telethon, La partita del cuore

Entertainment: Scusate il disturbo, Tutti pazzi per amore, Medico in famiglia 6, Don Matteo 7, Ballando con le stelle, Il commissario Manara, I Raccomandati, Affari tuoi, L'Eredità, Da Nord a Sud

Events: Giacomo Puccini, Pinocchio, Il sangue dei vinti, Miss Italia, Festival di Sanremo, Premio regia TV

Culture and science: Superquark e Superquark speciali, Passaggio a nordovest, Pianeta terra, Heritage, Uto Ughi racconta la musica, L'Appuntamento, Mettiamoci all'opera

Music: I migliori anni, Ti lascio una canzone, Andrea Bocelli al Colosseo, Applausi

News & Information: Porta a porta