Rai names new head

After weeks of political turmoil, Paolo Mieli, former editor-in-chief of national newspaper Corriere della sera, has been appointed head of Italian state broadcaster Rai.

Mieli was nominated for the position by the president of Italian parliament and the senate. Both men expressed the hoped that Mieli will ensure Rai's independence from political powers.

Mieli follows his predecessor Antonio Baldassare, who was forced to step down after announcing that network Rai Due would be moving to Milan without seeking official approval. Along with general director Agostino Sacco, Baldassare issued an unprecedented open letter of resignation.

Mieli's appointment has sparked controversy in Italy. In addition to anti-Semitic graffiti on Rai's Milan HQ, the right-wing newspaper Il Tempo has complained that the new Jewish Rai boss will dilute the Catholic values of Italian broadcasting.

This is not the first time that Rai staff have given in to pressure from the government. Last year three Rai board members and three presenters resigned when they failed to endorse the official government line.

The resignations throw the impartiality of Italy's broadcast media into doubt. Silvo Berlusconi is not only Prime Minister but also the owner of Italy's largest private television network, Mediaset.

Other new Rai board members include Antoni Saccà, the only survivor from the current line-up, academics Giorgio Rumi and Maria Petroni, journalist Marcello Veneziani, and sociologist Francesco Albertoni. The board will on be installed on Thursday.