Italian TV (and politics): A system in transition

Two common stereotypes usually portray Italian broadcasting: half-dressed women and Berlusconi. Notwithstanding that an objectifying gaze on women is still quite widespread and that Mr. Berlusconi is still the owner of three commercial networks, it is quite unfair to stop just at these characterizations. By the early 2000s, the Italian television system had entered a period of gradual but deep transformation, The effects of this were wide-reaching: Technological, with the start of multi-platform distribution; Institutional, with more competition among broadcasters and production companies (since 2003, Sky Italia rapidly topped competitor’s revenues); Textual, with the proliferation of new formats and programs; and, last but not least, on the side of Audience practices