La7La7 La7 La7 is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned by Cairo Communication. Until 2013 it was owned by Telecom Italia Media and operated by Telecom Italia. Signal overspill means that parts of Albania, Croatia, Switzerland, Malta, Montenegro, Monaco and Slovenia also receive La7 broadcasts. History. Telemontecarlo. Tele Monte Carlo (TMC) was the Italian language television channel from the Principality of Monaco. Telemontecarlo was founded in 1974 in the Principality of Monaco. During that time, the channel was the only competitor of Italian public television network RAI, broadcasting in colour. Since the introduction of Mediaset channels, TMC survived with  some difficulties until 2001, but already in 1999 the last owner, the film producer Vittorio Cecchi Gori, sold the network to SEAT Pagine Gialle. The first show transmitted by Telemontecarlo was "Un peu d'amour, d'amitié et beaucoup de musique" ("A Little Bit of Love, Friendship and a Lot of Music"), hosted by Jocelyn, who couldn't speak proper Italian at the time. On 12 March 1982, RAI acquired the remaining 10% of the network. On 4 August 1985, Brazilian company Organizações Globo acquired the remaining 90%. The programming changed and included more Brazilian programmes like telenovelas and other television series . The channel also broadcast the Rio Carnival live. In general, the channel adopted the same station identification and commercial bumpers from Rede Globo, the largest commercial TV network in South America and the second-largest commercial TV network in annual revenue worldwide just behind the American ABC Television Network and the largest producer of telenovelas, with the music and graphics being adapted for the channel. In 1993 Telemontecarlo became a member of Eurovision Network where they were broadcast parts of 1992 Summer Olympics, the 1992 America's Cup and the UEFA Euro 1992 football championship. In 1994, Italian film producer  Vittorio Cecchi Gori, who at that time already owner of Videomusic, acquired TMC, and then, in 1996, created TMC2 to compete with RAI and Mediaset networks. However, his intentions were thwarted and ratings were at an all-time low, because the channel lacked nationwide coverage in Italy. It was also at the time, in 1992, Organizações Globo took 15% of the shares in the new third TV channel in Portugal, SIC, which may have hurt TMC. In 1996, the channel also tried to acquire the television rights of Serie A, competing against RAI. On 10 March 2000 the channel broadcast  the Italian premiere of "Sex and the City". In 1999 Vittorio Cecchi Gori sold the network to SEAT Pagine Gialle (part of Telecom Italia holding) and the channel moved from its historical headquarters in Monte Carlo to a new building in Rome. La7. In 2001, Lorenzo Pellicioli and Roberto Colaninno of Telecom Italia announced they had acquired Telemontecarlo, to create a strong competitor against the six other national channels in Italy. On 24 June 2001, the network changed the station name to "La7". Against the initial premises, like the hiring of popular TV hosts, anchors and journalists, La7 ratings and  shares were much lower than its major competitors. However, in 2010–2011, the channel began doubling its rates, also thanks to current News director Enrico Mentana and his news program "TG La7". On 4 March 2013, it was announced the acquisition by Urbano Cairo's Cairo Editore. The sale was effective from 30 April 2013. La7 La7 is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned by Cairo Communication. Until 2013 it was owned by Telecom Italia Media and operated by Telecom Italia. Signal overspill means that parts of Albania, Croatia, Switzerland, Malta, Montenegro, Monaco and Slovenia also receive La7 broadcasts