Prodi seeks to loosen Berlusconi's media grip
published: Friday | May 19, 2006

BERLUSCONI

ROME (REUTERS):

Italy's new Prime Minister, Romano Prodi, promised a shake-up of media regulation yesterday as he seeks to loosen the grip on the sector of his predecessor Silvio Berlusconi.

Prodi, in his first speech to Parliament, said he was considering toughening antitrust laws in the media sector where Berlusconi controls private broadcaster Mediaset.

The media regulator under Berlusconi's government was widely considered toothless because it failed to uphold sanctions against Mediaset for receiving more advertising revenues than allowed by authorities.