RaiTre

As regards viewing figures, Rai 3 has succeeded in confirming its results both for prime time and for the whole day, despite the considerable increase in the performances of specialized channels and despite being unable to include programmes like Vieni via con me in prime time (average viewing figure above 29% share, equating to 8,700,000 viewers in the four evenings in 2010) and Parla con me in the evening slot, for the entire autumn season.

Nevertheless, according to the Qualitel report for 2011, viewers’ opinions of Rai 3 remained stable throughout the whole of 2011, with assessments for autumn higher than the channel’s average for culture, science, environment, television news and analysis.

The programmes that characterized Rai 3’s programming in 2011 were, as always in prime time, those with a strong service connotation, attentive to information and social matters, ‘taking the side of the people’, like Ballarò and Chi l’ha visto?, which, apart from gaining more viewers, also obtained a good judgment of quality, recording values which were always above the average for the genre. Furthermore, in the Qualitel in general, informative analysis was confirmed among the genres most requested by television audiences (38.5%) and among the informative analysis programmes that recorded a significant increase in terms of public value there are other prime time offerings by Rai 3, such as Report and Presa Diretta, or weekly afternoon programmes like In ½ ora. This confirms a distinctive sign that characterised last year, particularly the autumn season, marked by a growing demand for analysis and enquiry into economic and social themes or important news events, to which Rai 3 tried to respond by making very quick changes to its programming.
Good examples of this are the Ballarò special broadcast on Saturday the 12th of November, on the political crisis of the Berlusconi government, and the Agorà special on the death of Steve Jobs, and the Presa Diretta special on the floods in Genoa. The evening slot dedicated time to remembering deceased public figures, such as Giorgio Bocca, or analysing social phenomena like that of the indignant Americans.

Another considerable increase is audience recorded in the Qualitel for 2011 regards comedy programmes and satire. In particular, compared to the spring season, satire rose from 23.4% to 31.8% among the preferred genres and in terms of the programmes in greatest public demand, recording a general increase in the evening slot from 23.8% to 32.0%.

This indication was fully covered by the channel’s programming thanks to the aforementioned mechanism of the late evening slot, with Serena Dandini’s Parla con me, during the first half of 2011, which marked a growth in viewers compared to the second half of 2010; but also thanks to programmes like Che tempo che fa (with the greatly appreciated performances of Luciana Litizzetto), Ballarò (with the covers of Maurizio Crozza), and l’Almanacco del Gene Gnocco.

In the tv fiction series sector, appreciation of the soap opera Un posto al sole continues to remain high and stable in the early evening slot, while innovation has been tested thanks to the first series of Boris broadcast in the evening slot on Wednesdays during the autumn season.

The culture, science and environment genre, which characterizes important portions of Rai 3’s programming, secured its place with the audience in terms of perceived quality, with programmes such as Alle falde del Kilimangiaro, Superquark and Geo&Geo (which now covers the whole afternoon, lasting more than three hours every day).

Good results were also achieved by Cose dell’altro Geo, E se domani, Passepartout and Storie di Animali. As regards current affairs programmes, there was a clear improvement by Apprescindere and appreciable values were also achieved by Le Storie, Blu Notte, Un giorno in Pretura, Paesereale and Correva l’anno.

Returning to the profile of viewing figures, some of the channel’s programmes recorded strong improvements compared to the previous year and seasons: Chi l’ha visto? recorded outstanding viewing performances, closing the 2010/2011 season with an average share of 13.21% with about 3,600,000 viewers and, as at 31 December 2011, the average figure was 12.32% with about 3,300,000 viewers. Ballarò increased its already high share results in autumn 2011, climbing from 17.12% with about 4,600,000 viewers, the average value with which it ended the 2010/2011 season, to 18.82% with an average 5 million viewers as at 31 December 2011.

Excellent results were also achieved by the weekend early-evening slot, assigned to the talents of Fabio Fazio and his team, who keep Che tempo che fa at the top of the viewing figures and of audience appreciation, with the ability to speak to a very wide audience on cultural issues which are usually considered difficult in television terms. This success is also achieved by Corrado Augias with his Storie in day time.

In this sense, we ought to remember the successful experiment of Sostiene Bollani, a programme which brought an internationally famous jazz musician to popularity among television audiences, gaining him extensive appreciation by television critics.

New programmes broadcast in 2011 which obtained significant viewing figures and are worthy of mention include the early evening experiment In ½ ora - La crisi, the bringing forward to 8:00 a.m. of Agorà and the transfer from Sunday to Saturday of Paesereale, a reviewed formula of Racconti di vita.

In the summer, particular importance was placed on the documentary genre (another mainstay of Rai 3’s programming), with the channel’s historical programmes like Sfide and Doc3 and new experiments such as Radici and Six Billion Others.

Increasing space was given to repeat use programmes during 2011, films and telefilms for all targets, proposed on Saturday and Sunday mornings, but more importantly with the prime time films on Monday and Friday.

Rai 3 confirmed its role in 2011 as a modern, contemporary channel, made solid by constant work to renew its approach without losing continuity, which has helped strengthen the link and involvement with its audience.

Despite the reduction of resources, the channel’s investment in the policy of authoritative and credible people continues to be strong, as testified by the presence of some of the most famous and appreciated names in Italian television.

The changes made to programming did nothing to change Rai 3’s identity and broadcasting style, but helped outline the spirit of its audience: viewers who want to be kept constantly up to date, who are curious about what’s going on in the world ‘near and far’ and who want to understand and enter into the most current and relevant issues. An audience which enriches its culture, drawing on the information provided by television and media in general, who read newspapers and magazines, listen to the radio and use the Internet.