Overall Italian media revenue grew by 3.2% in 2024 compared to the previous year, exceeding €12 billion, according to the annual report by communications regulator AGCOM presented to the Senate by President Giacomo Lasorella. This increase was primarily driven by a 4.3% rise in income from paid content, especially online television, which offset declining sales of newspapers and magazines. Advertising revenue also climbed by 2.6%, boosted by television and radio performance, while public funding rose 1.7%, largely from the RAI license fee.
Television is no longer the primary source of news for Italians, the report reveals, with over half (52.4%) now using the internet for information. Search engines, social media, and newspaper/magazine websites/apps have become the main gateways to news. However, TV, radio, and print media “remain sources considered more reliable than social networks and platforms,” highlighting the “need to protect and safeguard professional journalism,” stated AGCOM President Lasorella.
Investments in telecommunications network infrastructure surged 8.7% in 2024 compared to 2023, reaching €7.05 billion, led by fixed network spending. Telecommunications sector revenue held steady at 1.3% of GDP. Overall customer spending (residential and business) increased by 1.9%. FTTH (Fiber to the Home) coverage reached 70.7% of households by December 31, 2024.
To combat aggressive telemarketing and telemarketing fraud involving CLI (Calling Line Identification) spoofing – where foreign numbers disguise themselves as Italian – AGCOM introduced specific measures. Based partly on international models, the new rules require operators to block incoming international calls to Italy that illegitimately display an Italian number identifier, with gradual implementation for both fixed and mobile lines. AGCOM also approved a consumer protection measure: a color-coded labeling system for 5G mobile service offers to clearly indicate service characteristics, particularly any speed limitations.
Regarding equal airtime (“par condicio”) regulations, Lasorella stated a “legislative intervention is necessary to explicitly extend the rules of electoral silence to digital platforms.” He noted AGCOM had urged both RAI and private broadcasters to exercise extreme caution in airing programs about candidates or electoral issues during the pre-vote blackout period, limiting such broadcasts only when essential for comprehensive reporting on newsworthy events.