Communications Regulatory Authority

Furthermore, it is pointed out that since radio has a considerable capacity to gain
the loyalty of its users, it is possible to identify exactly the recipients of the advertising
message, this protects the radio market from any heavy drop in advertising investments.
Moreover, the entry in the radio sector of the major publishing groups has
widened the advertising market both in absolute value and with reference to commodity
categories.
In 2004 advertising investments in the radio system reached 400 million euros,
with a 21.7% growth compared to 2003 5 . The following table shows the revenues from
the sale of advertising spaces obtained by the major national radio broadcasters.
Table 1.14. Revenues from the sale of advertising spaces of the major national
radio broadcasters (thousand)
2002 2003 2004
RAI 65,788 63,804 67,768
Elemedia 45,914 53,945 64,912
Radio Dimensione Suono 23,875 24,603 32,380
RTL 102,500 Hit Radio 22,718 28,774 31,656
Radio Studio 105 12,829 14,023 15,727
Radio Italia 13,762 13,364 14,982
Nuova Radio 13,637 13,401 13,716
Radio Kiss Kiss 4,317 5,495 6,034
RCS Broadcast 4,003 5,229 5,198
Source: Data of the Informativa Economica di Sistema (Media & Communications
Industry Database) processed by AGCOM
Future scenarios
Law no. 112 of 3 May 2004 on the structure of the radio and television system
prescribed specific provisions for digital radio broadcasting, which subsequently
converged in the Consolidation Act (Testo unico) on radio and television.
With its resolution No. 149/05/CONS of 9 March 2005 AGCOM issued
regulations to regulate the starting stage of digital radio broadcasting according to
procedures for the issuance of licenses and authorizations to operators already working
in the analogue radio system according to streamlining criteria.
The development of the digital radio broadcasting is the natural evolution of the
analogue system. The passage to digital technology represents a major opportunity for
radio mainly if it is considered in relation to competitiveness with other media.
The passage to digital technology will entail the need for radio enterprises to
take on themselves the burden of huge investments to develop the new technology.
5 Such value could not be homogeneous with terms specified in the decision No. 341/06/CONS.
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