Consequently, also in the new television setting, characterised by the strengthening of the DTT platform and of the competitive framework, Rai’s ‘flagship’ channel retains its leadership and confirms its clear supremacy over the direct competitor Canale 5 (+1.9% share in prime time, +1.8% over the full day, winning 45 weeks out of 52).

Rai 1 has consolidated its relationship with the public thanks to a popular, high-quality offering which attracted huge audiences with big events, from the Sanremo Music Festival to Formula 1 motor racing, and with highly innovative proposals, such as the success of Rosario Fiorello, or of particular cultural commitment, like the comedies of Eduardo (Napoli Milionaria and Questi Fantasmi) performed by Massimo Ranieri.

The 61st edition of the Sanremo Music Festival represents the exceptionality of television in a classic format. Gianni Morandi made a return in the role of guarantor of Italian music in competitive form, with special guests that included Roberto Benigni, who gave a spectacular performance dedicated to the Unity of Italy. It was the festival with the highest audience figures since 2005, with an average 48.2% share and an average of 11.5 million viewers over the 5 evenings.

The tv fiction series genre was also successful; from series with a huge audience of loyal viewers, such as Don Matteo 8 (27.1% share and over 7 million viewers) and the 4 new episodes of Il Commissario Montalbano (32% share and 9 million viewers), and new projects like A un Passo dal Cielo (23% share and 6 million viewers) and Fuori Classe (23.1% share and 6.3 million viewers). The representation in fiction of Italian geniality and the sentiments rooted deeply in our culture is also apparent in the proposals of mini-series and tv movies, like Atelier Fontana (share 28%, 8 million viewers), Sarò sempre tuo padre (26.5% share 7.4 million viewers), Cenerentola (27.1% share, 6.7 million viewers), Edda Ciano (24.7% share, 6.4 million viewers).

In entertainment too, Rai 1 has characterised its offering with tried and tested products, constantly renewing the language, with an aim of combining the features that characterise the channel’s image, i.e.: sobriety, elegance and a capacity to arouse emotions, with products like Ballando con le Stelle, Ti lascio una canzone, I migliori anni.
Also worth mentioning is the experimentation of new formats, such as Attenti a quei due along with the proposal of an exceptional and unrepeatable event, Il più grande Spettacolo dopo il Week End, with Rosario Fiorello, a showman with a remarkable ability to entertain and generate interest (44% share, 11.8 million average viewers) thanks to his genuine style and creativity.

The strong vocation of the channel to the mission of Public Service Broadcaster was also expressed in the choice of cinema programming, with the Christmas offering of the Disney classics: The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast repeated the great success of Christmas 2010, reaching 7.7 million viewers, testifying the aggregative strength that Rai holds in a context like that of children’s television, which is increasingly fragmented.

During the traditional day time, Rai 1 rearranged its morning and afternoon programming.

In the morning, at 6:00 a.m., Uno Mattina Caffè, presented by Guido Barlozzetti, the cultural news programme with studio guests and various slots dedicated to books, theatre and wellbeing, which gathers a large audience and hands it over to Uno Mattina, renewed with the presentation of Franco Di Mare and Elisa Isoardi, with further analysis of topics of general interest, from politic to economy and medicine.
This is followed, in the 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. time slot, by Uno Mattina Storie Vere which replaces Verdetto Finale and which, with low production costs and the new tv faces of Savino Zaba and Georgia Luzi, has exceeded a 20% share, telling stories and featuring the celebrities that characterise our everyday lives.

On Saturday and Sunday, Michele Guardì’s Uno Mattina in Famiglia, with Tiberio Timperi and Miriam Leone continues to be successful (27% share, 1.4 million viewers).

From 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. Occhio alla Spesa, with Alessandro Di Pietro, is confirmed as the morning programme with one of the highest Rai qualitel ratings (sixty nine on a scale of zero to one hundred): information and analysis within easy reach of everyone and advice for consumers.
La Prova del Cuoco, presented by Antonella Clerici, has renewed its image, retouching the set and incorporating entertainment and fun in the form of quizzes. In 2011, the programme successfully experimented the space dedicated to ‘Lotteria Italia’, historically positioned in the Saturday evening or Prime Time shows.

Another successful experimentation was the new afternoon airing of Verdetto Finale presented by Veronica Maya, which managed to involve the more dynamic early afternoon audience.
It was followed by the afternoon talk show on news and current affairs, La vita in diretta presented by Mara Venier and Marco Liorni, followed by the evergreen pre-evening L’Eredità of Carlo Conti, a quiz which, despite the new formats of the competition, has maintained its leadership, accompanying the public towards the important appointment of the TG1 at 8:00 p.m.

This view towards renewal also extendeds to Sunday afternoon where Massimo Giletti’s Arena is followed by the new arrangement assigned completely to Lorella Cuccarini, who looks at stories of lives that concern our social problems.

Rai 1 consolidates the loyalty of its public with spaces and service slots like Linea Blu, Linea Verde, Linea Verde Orizzonti, and Rubriche Religiose.

News and information continue to represent the strengths of the channel’s programming which proposes appointments with political, social and current events in the evening slot of Porta a Porta with Bruno Vespa and the incursions of Piero and Alberto Angela into the world of science, history and archaeology, with the traditional Christmas and summer versions of Superquark and the documents of Passaggio a nordovest.