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Berlusconi hogs airtime

Barbara McMahon

Italy's Prime Minister at the centre of a political row as poll nears

Rome: Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was at the centre of a political row on Thursday over allegations that he was using his media empire to launch a charm offence on the electorate in the run-up to a general election.

For the past fortnight the billionaire tycoon, who owns Italy's three main private television stations, has been on a broadcasting blitz. He has given in-depth political interviews, appeared on lightweight chat shows and, on a football programme, talked about his electoral chances as well as about football.

He has been a guest on state-run TV and appeared, alongside a rather startled presenter, on a radio show that broadcasts traffic news. The saturation media coverage has angered Opposition politicians, who say the 69-year-old leader is trying to subvert rules meant to give balanced airtime to all political parties.

President unhappy

``Every type of rule is being bent,'' said Fabrizio Morri, a spokesman for the Centre-Left Democrats. He called for broadcasting watchdogs to ``restore a situation of equal opportunities and democratic normalcy''.

Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, the President of Italy, whose role is above the cut and thrust of party politics, also intimated his unease. Though not mentioning Mr. Berlusconi directly, he used a meeting of a parliamentary commission on TV standards to say that members should ensure balanced coverage ahead of the election ``in all programmes''.

The general election will be held on April 9 and Mr. Berlusconi's media blitz is said to be an attempt to get as much coverage as possible before Parliament is dissolved and strict rules giving equal airtime to all parties come into force.

Political commentators also believe the Prime Minister, whose conservative coalition is trailing six points in the opinion polls, is trying to cash in on a banking scandal that is causing his Centre-Left opponents, led by Romano Prodi, some embarrassment.

- Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006

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