The new CEO of RAI raises the alarm. The 2018 budget risks incurring an 80-100-million-euro deficit. Mario Orfeo mostly talked about accounts during his first hearing at the Supervisory Committee, pointing out the potential financial difficulties the public broadcaster of Viale Mazzini is heading for. The incomes of the TV license fee are reduced by about 140 million euros this year, compared to the last one, while the reduction in 2018 might reach 170 million euros; this decrease, together with the downturn in the advertising market, might imply that the closure of 2017 would be broadly balanced. The TV license fee in the bill has greatly reduced the tax evasion and has guaranteed secure earnings for the company, but its reduction to 90 euros for next year will cause an estimated loss of 80-100 million euros. Moreover, the new CEO reiterated the pledge of the company about the cost containment and, about Fabio Fazio’s contract, he required to state that this will ensure a recovery of funds in the medium and long-term, since its unit cost per episode will fall by 16%. He also reminded the members of the Committee that the host had received an offer which was «more tempting than ours» from Discovery group and Mediaset had offered him a five-year contract.
Red alert for RAI, Orfeo foresees a loss-making budget for 2018 in the Supervisory Committee.
