Rai 3's Radical Transformation Under Government Pressure

Rai 3, the Italian public broadcaster's historically left-leaning and experimental channel, is undergoing a radical transformation driven by the Meloni government. The 2026/2027 schedule confirms the cancellation of several distinctive programs: ReStart (Annalisa Bruchi), Riserva Indiana (Stefano Massini), and Dilemmi (Gianrico Carofiglio). Via dei Matti n°0 (Stefano Bollani, Valentina Cenni) was saved after negotiations. New shows include Le cose che non sai (Eleonora Daniele, from Rai 1) on Thursdays, Lo stato delle cose (Massimo Giletti) on Mondays, and Filorosso (Antonino Monteleone) on Tuesdays. FarWest (Salvo Sottile) moves to Rai 2. The changes follow the departure of iconic hosts Fabio Fazio, Massimo Gramellini, and Lucia Annunziata in 2023. CEO Giampaolo Rossi, appointed in 2024 with Fratelli d'Italia support, openly stated that Rai 3's previous identity was an 'anomaly' and that its audience shift to La7 is a 'great success'. Since 2021, Rai's reorganization by genre instead of network has eliminated channel directors, centralizing scheduling and eroding Rai 3's autonomy. The union Usigrai released a video with celebrities demanding the restoration of Rai 3's identity.