Sports boss of Italian broadcaster quits after Olympic commentary backlash
- Paolo Petrecca has resigned as head of the sports division of Italian state broadcaster RAI, following widespread criticism of his commentary during the Winter Olympics opening ceremony.
- Petrecca made several significant errors during the broadcast, including misidentifying individuals and locations, and making controversial remarks about national delegations.
- His performance triggered a revolt among RAI journalists, with the Usigrai union calling a one-day byline strike and sports journalists planning a three-day strike.
- The controversy overshadowed RAI's Olympic coverage and deepened long-running tensions over the public broadcaster's direction since Giorgia Meloni's government took office in 2022.
- Opposition parties have accused the government of appointing underqualified loyalists to RAI, rebranding the network as 'TeleMeloni' and criticising the prioritisation of political allegiance over merit.
Bookmark popover
Removed from bookmarks