Protests at Berlusconi's TV power

Berlusconi controls the bulk of Italian TV

ROME, Italy -- Thousands of protesters gathered outside state-run television centres across Italy on Sunday in an opposition-organised demonstration against the prime minister's control.

Premier Silvio Berlusconi took over effective control of RAI when the new board of political appointees were chosen last month.

The multi-billionaire already owns Italy's three main private networks, RAI's only real competition.

He had vowed to deal with the issue of a potential conflict of interest within the first 100 days of his premiership.

However, little has been done, and moves to privatise RAI have stalled since the media mogul came to power last spring.

His government killed a deal to sell off a RAI transmission unit called RaiWay in October, which would have created a new competitive force in Italy's television market.

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An estimated 10,000 people gathered at the RAI headquarters in Rome while smaller demonstrations, organised by the centre-left demonstration, stood outside offices in Milan, Palermo, Cosenza, Perugia, Turin, Ancona, Florence, Cagliari, Bari, Bologna, Trieste and elsewhere.

The mood was upbeat, with demonstrators chanting pro-democracy slogans and cardboard "televisions" on their heads. The marches attracted celebrities and political leaders along with thousands of ordinary people.

The conflict of interest charge was mostly ignored by voters when they elected him to power, but a series of recent polls show the issue is beginning to attract wide public concern.

Berlusconi's conservative majority has introduced a conflict-of-interest bill in an attempt to quash public concern, but the sanction-less measure has been harshly attacked as toothless.

The lower chamber of parliament has approved the legislation and debate in the Senate begins Tuesday.

Berlusconi's business interests also include a major soccer team, insurance and real-estate companies, as well as film and advertising companies, but his dominance of television has been the focus of attention.