Newsgroup: it.politica
Titolo: giornali comunisti!

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/03/15/world/international-uk-italy-berlusconi-tv.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=berlusconi&st=cse
BARI, Italy (Reuters) - Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is being
investigated for allegedly trying to pressure Italy's communications
watchdog to block state television talk shows critical of his
government, a source close to the investigation said on Monday.
Italian media have reported that phone taps ordered by prosecutors in
the town of Trani showed Berlusconi complained to a member of the
Agcom watchdog, which monitors pluralism on television, about some
programmes on the state broadcaster RAI, and asked for them to be
taken off the air.
One source close to the investigation told Reuters that Berlusconi was
formally under investigation for suspected abuse of office. A source
in Berlusconi's office said it had not been informed that he was under
investigation. Being under investigation in Italy does not imply
guilt, nor that any charges will be brought.
A lawyer for the prime minister, Filiberto Palumbo, told Reuters he
had not yet heard from the Trani prosecutors whether Berlusconi, who
faces regional elections at the end of this month, was being
investigated.
After days of media speculation, Berlusconi's lawyers asked the Trani
prosecutors on Monday to officially inform them about whether he was
being investigated.
Earlier on Monday, Berlusconi said he was "shocked" by reports that
his phone had been tapped, accusing the Trani prosecutors of "blatant
violations of the law" and denying any wrongdoing.
"It is a grotesque initiative. I am not at all worried about the
content (of the phone taps) because the prime minister has a right to
speak on the phone with anybody without being intercepted," he told
state radio.
He said he had long raised concerns "right, left and centre" about TV
programmes "who put people on trial ... without giving them the
possibility to defend themselves."
"This is not only legitimate, but also a duty," he said.
The chief prosecutor in Trani was not immediately available for
comment. Berlusconi's main lawyer, Niccolo Ghedini, said in a
statement that if the accusations against Berlusconi were confirmed
they would be "groundless and contrary to common sense."
The Justice Ministry has sent inspectors to Trani after a leftist
newspaper, "Il Fatto Quotidiano" first reported on Friday that
Berlusconi was under investigation there for attempting to censor some
state television programmes.
Justice Minister Angelino Alfano, a close Berlusconi ally, said the
inspectors should check on the use of phone taps by the prosecutors,
media leaks about the investigation, and whether the Trani prosecutors
had the right to launch an investigation.
Excerpts of telephone conversations allegedly show Berlusconi speaking
to a member of Agcom, Giancarlo Innocenzi, and the head of news for
RAI Uno, the flagship channel, and complaining strongly about some
political talk shows on RAI.
According to Italian media, the phone conversations were tapped while
prosecutors investigated a separate case unrelated to Berlusconi, who
has long complained publicly about what he says are biased programmes
on RAI against his government.
The controversy is the latest to hit Berlusconi's camp ahead of
regional elections on March 28-29, after his PDL party missed the
deadline to register its candidates in the key Rome province.
The media tycoon-turned-politician controls private broadcaster
Mediaset, RAI's main competitor.

 ha scritto nel messaggio 
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Pensi che li finanziano le toghe rosse? :-)