The Standing Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Immigration, Security and Public Order, and Information met on the afternoon of Wednesday, 28 October 2026, with the hearings of San Marino RTV board chairman Pasquale Valentini and general director Roberto Sergio on the agenda.
Below is the full statement by State Secretary Federico Pedini Amati.
State Secretary Federico Pedini Amati: I thank my colleagues, the committee and of course the guests who have taken part in response to the request made by opposition members of the Foreign Affairs Committee. I am referring to chairman Pasquale Valentini and to Roberto Sergio, general director of San Marino RTV.
I thank you for this hearing, called by opposition members, not least because it will give us the opportunity to set out everything that has been accomplished so far, and more broadly, the path San Marino RTV intends to follow in the future.
I will stick to the terms under which the director and the chairman were summoned, meaning I will not go into the specifics of any particular issue.
But allow me to say that over the past two years or so — that is, since the arrival of director Roberto Sergio, former CEO, chairman and general director of RAI, and of chairman Valentini, and before him Giacomini — our state television is clearly in better shape.
It is doing better in many respects: you have seen and continue to see this in the constantly refreshed schedules and in the editorial content; you have seen and continue to see this in RTV’s own budget, which for the past two years has shown a surplus compared to the final figures of the public broadcaster’s previous accounts.
But above all, I believe there is renewed interest among the staff themselves in learning aspects closely tied to their work and professional skills, including through the relationship with RAI.
I am referring to the many productions that have been made, are being made and will continue to be made in direct partnership with Italian public broadcasting, particularly in Rome, or conversely in our own renovated facilities. You have all seen by now the various RTV studios, completely renovated.
This has been a very difficult undertaking: on one hand, balancing the books using the fixed revenues from the agreement with Italy and the Republic of San Marino, and on the other, bringing in significant new revenue from advertising, which, frankly, accounts for a truly substantial share of the budget over the past two management periods and the one now coming to a close.
The combined effect of these factors, as they say, has made it possible to have a schedule featuring highly renowned professionals presenting certain programmes, alongside our own, clearly very talented, staff.
New programmes, new schedules: the state broadcaster has been completely renewed, without neglecting the technological side. The technology above all: look, when this government took office, back in 2024, I clearly remember that the technological infrastructure was in the greatest difficulty, the greatest difficulty of all.
We paradoxically risked that our television would, so to speak — forgive the very blunt way of putting it — simply switch off, given how outdated much of the technical equipment was.
Not only has the hardware and software been renewed, but the studios themselves have been upgraded to a standard that, according to industry professionals — not my own assessment, but that of people in the field — has nothing to envy in comparison with RAI studios in Rome, on Via Asiago, or with the regional news studios we can find in the broadcasters around us.
So this has been demanding, constant work, and I must say, one that I and the government greatly appreciate. The general director has certainly put in not only full commitment, as he did in his previous roles, but also a great deal of passion.
You know, passion is not always something you find in people’s work. In this case, I can assure you that, in the relationship I have had with the director over these years, I have also found in him someone deeply passionate about the field, which, quite simply, never hurts.
I believe he has shown a very proactive approach these past years. As far as I know, he has been able to engage with all the opposition and majority parties, in various capacities, in a clear and fair dialogue.
We said it at the very first session, when this new phase of RTV began with the new director: state television is an absolute asset belonging to the State — it belongs to no one in particular. There is no secretary in charge, no sitting government, no majority or opposition party that holds a privileged claim over state television.
We stated this clearly in one of the very first hearings, where the possibility that this might not be the case had even been raised. The director said it clearly, I reiterated it myself, and I reiterate it once again: there has never been, and there will never be, pressure of any kind.
Here, everyone must do their own job within the division of offices, powers and roles. This is a principle I hold firmly and feel I must reaffirm before this chamber, because otherwise we are not doing good work.
Many things have been said. But I want to stress one point: the role of the general director has never been called into question — let me be clear about this — at least not from the San Marino side, nor, as far as I am aware, from the Italian side either.
The general director was appointed by RAI, as provided for under the shareholders’ agreements, certainly — but this is something I have never felt to be an issue. I hope and trust that the general director will remain with us for a long time. That would mean great prospects also for our state television.
Have you seen what has happened? A single, unified news programme created in a very short time, and an outward perception of outstanding image and professionalism conveyed by our employees.
Not a rediscovered professionalism — I will never put it that way, because they already had it — but our staff have been given the conditions to work and collaborate with RAI colleagues on programmes that perhaps did not exist before, and through which our San Marino RTV employees have been able to gain additional experience.
Shall we put it in these terms? At the very least, they have gained an additional experience, one that adds to the body of knowledge they will carry with them throughout their careers.
I see this as an absolutely positive outcome, as an added value compared with what, in some way, happened a few years ago. So I am entirely satisfied with the progress we have made so far.
Together with colleague Fabbri and the chairman, we have managed the various phases of these past two years, within our respective areas of responsibility.
I also thank the chairman who, in various capacities and within his role, has managed the board of directors, which in any case engages on a daily or monthly basis with our partner, RAI. Over these years, I have found a rather calm, proactive and, honestly, pragmatic atmosphere.
For once, pragmatic — where the figures were starting to add up, where resources were being used, in some way, for products that are also highly innovative compared with our country or with the television we had become used to until a few years ago, and where, in any case, a top manager has stepped in and has managed our television in the best possible way up to this point.
So thank you to all of you who, within your respective responsibilities, have managed state television, in my view, in the best way possible up to now.
I have no recollection of past years in which television was in this kind of condition. I have nothing further to add, and I will hand over to colleague Fabbri. In any case, the fact remains — and this is what I would ask you, Mr President, at this point — that these hearings should be held more than once a year, even simply to update us on the state of affairs and the growth prospects of our television, which, I repeat, belongs to everyone, not to anyone in particular.
