AGCM

PRESS RELEASE

RAI - ANTITRUST LAUNCHES INQUIRY INTO  POOR RECEPTION OF ANALOG AND DIGITAL SIGNALS

An investigation into unfair commercial practices has been opened to follow up on a Federconsumatori report and individual complaints received by the call center. The company has allegedly been misinforming consumers about low-quality coverage in different parts of the country, especially Tuscany and Trentino Alto Adige.

False and even misleading information about analog and digital television coverage are the specific RAI practices being contested by the Antitrust Authority, which is launching investigatory proceedings in response to a Federconsumatori report.

According to complaints and initial findings, consumers cannot receive the Rai channels very well in certain parts of the country (especially Tuscany). The Antitrust Authority maintains that this business is engaging in practices that prompt the purchase of additional equipment (antennas, decoders, etc.) in efforts to improve signal quality.

Not included in the annual subscription, these add-on costs could be avoided if consumers were only aware that their weak to nonexistent reception of Rai programs is actually the consequence of problems that could in fact be fixed by the public service concessionary.

These expenses are augmented by the cost of other television alternatives, like satellite-based systems.

The Antitrust is also reviewing Rai’s lack of transparency about the service charges for "Risponde Rai" (the information line for all Rai activities), which is advertised as a "toll free" number.

Rome - 15 June 2011