Anti-Berlusconi satire causes storm

Berlusconi is widely expected to win the May 13 elections

ROME, Italy -- State broadcaster RAI again attracted strong criticism on Thursday when centre-right parties accused it of airing a satirical programme they called a political lynching of opposition leader Silvio Berlusconi.

The Freedom House alliance demanded the resignation of RAI's top executives and the president of Berlusconi's media empire threatened legal action against the television network.

The tempest concerned a programme called Satyricon, broadcast on Wednesday night, which included a long interview with the author of a book on how Berlusconi, one of the world's richest men, started off on the road to wealth.

During the programme, the author of "The Scent of Money," Marco Travaglio, spoke of "mystery" surrounding Berlusconi's early billions of lire, made first of all in construction and then in television.

Berlusconi's coalition is leading in polls and many analysts expect him to return to power as prime minister in the May 13 national elections.

At the end of Wednesday's television interview, the programme's host, Daniele Luttazzi, praised Travaglio for his style of journalism and said:

"In this shitty country, you are a person with courage."

The studio audience, made up of mostly young people, roundly applauded the accusations against Berlusconi.

The reaction of the centre right was immediate and forceful.

"This is over the top," said Mario Landolfi, president of the parliamentary commission which oversees RAI. Landolfi, a member of a right-wing party in Berlusconi's alliance, is one of several members of parliament who demanded heads roll at RAI.

The opposition said that as a state broadcaster funded by taxes and obligatory annual subscriptions, it had grossly violated rules of impartiality and equal time.

Berlusconi's spokesman, Paolo Bonaiuti, issued a tough statement accusing centre-left politicians of gloating over what he called "the lynching of the opposition leader during a broadcast on public television."

Fedele Confalonieri, president of Berlusconi's television empire, threatened legal action against RAI for what he called "the most shameful and false information."

Maurizio Gasparri of the right-wing National Alliance party in Berlusconi's bloc, accused the state broadcaster of using "killer tactics" in what he said was an "organised plot" to hurt Berlusconi politically.

The centre-left accused Berlusconi's alliance of over-reacting and said the centre right was trying to censor freedom of the press.

Berlusconi, who was prime minister for seven stormy months in 1994, has belittled Rutelli as "just a pretty face," while Rutelli has called Berlusconi "a plastic shark" who doesn't scare anyone.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Forza Italia

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