RAI head resigns

The president of Italian state network RAI resigned yesterday, saying Italy's biggest media organisation had become just a "mail box" for requests from Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right government. Lucia Annunziata said she could no...

The president of Italian state network RAI resigned yesterday, saying Italy's biggest media organisation had become just a "mail box" for requests from Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right government.

Lucia Annunziata said she could no longer do her job because the company had been "occupied" by backers of Mr Berlusconi who were stifling media freedom.

Mr Berlusconi's family controls RAI's rival, private network Mediaset. The media mogul also has control over RAI through his political office.

"I am resigning because internal pluralism has been stifled and because this board operates illegitimately," Ms Annunziata told a hastily called news conference.

She was the second high-profile defection from RAI in a week over allegations of political interference in the running of the company.

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