The local television broadcasting system in Italy: too few resources for too many companies?

This article examines the development of local television broadcasting in Italy within a climate of `deregulation', raising issues about the way in which stations variously provide an economic return to investors. It shows that direct profitability is not the only way in which local broadcasting may be economically advantageous, particularly when ownership of a station is part of a larger commercial strategy in which a company with diverse interests gains promotion and a strong identity in local commercial and political contexts.