The mayors of Friuli ask Rai and Government more programs in Friulian language

The mayors of the Assembly of the Friulian linguistic Community requested to the Italian Government and the RAI:

- the immediate launch of the Friulian-language television broadcasts on the regional Rai through a specific provision in the next convention concerning the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region (signed between the Prime Minister's Office and the RAI, to be signed, as a law, by April 2019),

- the allocation of funds necessary to guarantee television broadcasts, during the period 2019-2022, with a number of hours and resources no lower than those provided for the Slovenian language


Meeting in Udin
The mayors met on January 26th at the headquarters of the Region in Udin/Udine. «In the absence of actions, the legitimate interests of the citizens of the Friulian language will be asserted in the appropriate offices, even with the Judicial Authority», said the president of the Friulian Community of the Friulian Community, Diego Navarria, defending the legitimate interests of the Friulian-speaking citizens provided for by the law in force (including RAI service contract currently in force), which is clearly violated for what concerns television broadcasts and undersized for what concerns radio broadcasting ».





A demand previously requested
The non-fulfillment of the public radio and television service had already been denounced in a letter to the leaders of the RAI, signed on 23 October 2018 by 76 mayors belonging to the Friulian Language Community, who adhered to the motion approved unanimously by the Regional Council on 26 July 2018, on the need for an important commitment to strengthening and enhancing information and structures to protect regional linguistic minorities. The motion committed the Regional Council to implement the regulatory provisions related to the promotion of cultures and the protection of linguistic minorities in the region, and to enhance and enhance the editorial office of Udine and the correspondence site of Pordenone, in order to ensure radio broadcasts and television in the Friulian language for a time schedule at least equal to that recognized in the Slovenian language.

Only 90 hours/year in the radio
At the start of the autumn radio and television programming, there was an unchanged lack of content in the Friulian language and in the German language and a weakening of the regional news services dedicated to the news concerning the territories of Udine, Gorizia and Pordenone. Navarria recalled, during the press conference, how the Rai service contract in force (2018-2022) already foresees the obligation to "guarantee the production and distribution of radio and television broadcasts in the Friulian language", a provision currently breached.

Currently, only 90 hours of Friulan-language radio broadcasts per year are foreseen and no television broadcast (compared to 4,517 radio and 208 television programs in Slovenian, which can also count on its own dedicated site). There were 21 mayors or their delegates, as well as the regional councilors Diego Bernardis and Massimo Moretuzzo.