ARE (Etruria)
 Logo of ARE since 2019 | |
Native name | Amministrazione Radiotelevisiva Etruriana (Vespasian) |
|---|---|
| Public broadcaster | |
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Founded | 1 October 1920 |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served |  Etruria (and other neighbouring countries via overspill) |
Key people | Romolo Simone Minervini (director general) Viktor Urbančič (Chair of the Executive Board) |
| Products | television, radio, e-publishing, over-the-top media services, performing arts |
| Services | radio, television, online |
 €1.101 billion (2021) | |
| Owner | Government of Etruria |
Number of employees | 4,225 (2021) |
| Parent | Federal Ministry for Culture and National Identity |
| Subsidiaries | UniMondo |
| Website | hno.he |
ARE - Amministrazione Radiotelevisiva Etruriana (Etrurian Radio Television Administration) is the national public broadcasting company of Etruria and is headquartered in Solaria. Established in 1920 as the Servizio Informazioni Etruriano (Etrurian Information Service), it is one of the oldest broadcasters in the world. It is owned by the Government of Etruria and is managed by the Federal Ministry for Culture and National Identity.
From its foundation until 1938 when television was introduced, ARE (formerly SIE) providing broadcasts of news, public information as well as music and theatrical productions over radio. From 1938 onward, it became the sole provider of televised productions until 1953 when ReppublicaTV (then known as Radioteleivisione Reppublica; RAR) was founded, this was followed by UNIcanale in 1958. During the Etrurian military junta (1960-1984), only ARE was permitted to broadcast information and news, with RAR and UNIcanale's news services shut down. Following the restoration of democracy, ARE's competitors were permitted to resume broadcasting news services. Under the military regime, ARE also became the pre-eminent producer of entertainment shows, sports news and events as well as documentaries and since has remained the most watched broadcaster in Etruria. In 1991, Orrizonte24 was launched, introducing a third privately owned competitor.
Today, ARE provides television, radio, online and printed services and productions for both domestic and international audiences. In 2017, ARE launched a subsidiary Unimondo for the Etrurian diaspora and Vespasian speaking countries in Asteria Inferior, Asteria Superior and the Arucian Sea. It is funded via a hybrid system of government funds, advertising, sponsorship and federal taxation (Tassa sui Servizi Pubblici; Public Services Tax). In 2021, it operated a budget of €1.101 billion and employed over 4,000 people. It's primary rival for market share is ReppublicaTV, yet remains the most watched broadcaster with an estimated 53% audience share weekly. ARE was one of the founding members of the Euclean Broadcasters Group in 1951.
History
Founding as SIE (1920-1938)
Servizio Informazioni Etruriano (SIE) was founded in 1920 with the technical backing of the Albanese Company in a structure and format adopted by other countries in Euclea. SIE made its inaugural broadcast with a speech made by President Alessandro Luzzani from the ballroom of the Cittadella dell'Arcangelo in Solaria on 1 October, where he praised the broadcast as the "hymnal of modernity." The following evening regular programming commenced, with SIE's president, Augustino Giacomo Purelli announcing, "Servizio Informazioni Etruriano bids to all those listening our greetings, good evening and God bless you all." This was followed by a quartet performing the Etrurian national anthem I figli di Romolo. The Società Radiofonica Albanese SpA owned 45% of SIE's shares, the Etrurian government 15% and a consortium of banks the remainder.
SIE's primary focus was on the broadcasting of music usually played in auditoriums and music halls across the country, together with governmental announcements and news. Following Etruria's entry into the Great War (1928-1936), SIE was nationalised by an emergency senate decree in August 1928 and the entire wireless broadcasting industry in Etruria was monopolised. SIE would serve as the principal wartime radio station and proved adept at propagandistic broadcasting, informing listeners of events on the front and providing patriotic musical and comedic events for morale on the home front. Following the war's end in 1936, SIE remained under state control but the wartime monopoly law was repealed, enabling the return of competitor wireless broadcasters.
In 1938, the Legionary Reaction overthrew the Etrurian Second Republic and replaced it with the totalitarian Greater Solarian Republic, with it came the return of government monopoly on wireless broadcasting.
Transition to ARE and Greater Solarian Regime (1938-1946)
With the establishment of the GSR in 1938, SIE was reorganised and rebranded into ARE - Amministrazione Radiotelevisiva Etruriana in part due to the adoption of nascent television the same year. With this reorganisation, ARE was placed under the direction and management of the Ministry of Popular Information - the "propaganda ministry." While efforts by the GSR regime were made to widen radio ownership through the subsidising of wireless sets across Etruria, television would remain limited to government institutions and regime elites.
Under the MPI, ARE became the principal organ of state propaganda, disseminating the Grande Tradimento (Great Betrayal) theory, imperialism, militarism and ultranationalism. Notably however, in 1941, ARE became host to the first Catholic programming outside Tiberunium's Radio Ecumene. During the Solarian War, much like during the Great War, served as the primary source for information on the war effort and events on the frontlines, however, it focused on distorting reality and denying defeats as the war turned in 1943.
Following the collapse and defeat of the GSR in 1946, and the establishment of the Community of Nations Mandate for Etruria, ARE was reformed along lines similar to the Estmerish Broadcasting Service and Hennish National Broadcasting in providing mostly educational programming. Due to the impoverishment found in post-war Etruria, ARE remained a principally radio-based broadcaster.
Third Republic era (1946-1960)
The 1948 reorganisation of ARE was followed by a restructuring of the broadcasters radio stations into two distinct networks, Prima Rete (First Network) and Seconda Rete (Second Network). In 1952, ARE introduced Terza Rete (Third Network), with Prima being focused on informational content such as news, Seconda on cultural programming and Terza focusing on entertainment, this structure would later constitute the emergence of the televised ARE Uno, ARE Due and ARE Tre and the individual radio channels providing similar programming today.
During the mid to late 1950s, the economic situation in Etruria had stabilised to a sufficient degree to foster growing ownership of television sets by the middle classes. This marked the beginning of ARE's extended responsibilities confirmed by the introduction of a regular television service in February 1956. On 6 February at 11.30 am, the first ARE television announcer presented the day's schedule broadcasted from the Solaria headquarters and via the Povelia and San Alessandro relay stations. At 13.30 pm, the first ever regular programme in Etrurian television history was broadcast - "Un Viaggio" a travel programme hosted by Baldassare Cesare Alessandri, in which he broadcast and explained the goings-on from various parts of Etruria to the audience, out of reflection of the lack of money for families to travel. The evening programming was focused on short threatre productions and a live broadcast of the opera "L'Eremita del Fiume", performed at the Scorzi Opera House in Solaria. At 22.30 pm, the broadcast saw the day's concluding programme, "Bounasera Etruria", the predecessor to today's 10pm news segment of the same name.
Military Regime era (1960-1984)
The 1960 coup d'état brought about a Military dictatorship in Etruria that would last until 1984, and with that came a second reorganisation of ARE and the monopolising of radio and television in the country under government control. ARE was subject to intense censorship, both political and social in nature becoming the mouthpiece of the military regime through its news and informational programming. However, despite the censorship, in 1963, ARE launched ARE Due and ARE Tre, two new channels dedicated to educational and entertainment programming respectively, though designed and written to be supportive or neutral toward the military regime. This was followed in 1966 by the launch of new radio stations, such as Suono d'Etruria (Sound of Etruria), a classical, folk and operatic genre focused station and Radio Solaria dedicated to music of the day and light news.
During the 1970s, successful economic reforms and the Etrurian economic miracle resulted in an significant rise in television and radio ownership, leading to the establishment of clone channels and radio stations for Novalia and Carinthia in their respective languages in 1974.
Expansion and Modernisation (1984-2016)
In 1984, the military regime was dissolved and succeeded by the current Etrurian Fourth Republic, and ARE was subsequently released from censorship and control. The de-monopolisation of radio and television resulted in a boom in competitors emerging during the 1980s, specifically in radio broadcasting.
In 1986, ARE's Foundational Constitution was re-written and the Board of Governance and Executive Committee was established, granting ARE significant freedom and autonomy from the government which remained the sole owner and proprietor of the broadcaster. These changes together with the Chairman and non-executive Directors being appointed by the government and approved by Chamber of Representatives further solidified its independence with the Chairman appointing the Director-General with the confirmation of the Board of Governance. Integral to these organisational changes was the commitment by ARE to be "politically neutral in ethical standards and in production."
The 1980s and 1990s saw the launch of several new channels and televised programming including soap operas, comedies, dramas and procedural shows.
Present (2016-present)
In 2016, ARE's coverage of the year's federal election soured relations between it and the victorious Tribune Movement, who saw ARE as a "stronghold of the Euclo-Leftist elite and Poteri Oscuri." From 2016 to 2019, ARE would be subject to intense scrutiny by the Tribune government who regularly accused it of violating its foundational constitution by abandoning political neutrality. Between 2017 and 2019, ARE's programming was also under intense criticism beyond government as ratings began to fall and many proved intensely unpopular with critics and viewers alike. Plans for a restructuring of programming in 2018 sparked outrage among older viewers, with a number of legacy programmes facing cancellation or overhauls.
In 2019, the so-called ARE sacking affair took place, in which the Federal Ministry for Culture and National Identity, the owner of ARE, sacked the entire Board of Governance. The government cited this as a "pre-emptive measure to save the broadcaster." The Tribune government also claimed that the proposed restructuring from the previous year would have further degraded the finances of ARE and "made a mockery of the taxpayer's funding of the body." The sackings elicited widespread condemnation across the political spectrum and from ARE staff, which only worsened after the government appointed Viktor Urbančič a former media producer and renowned right-wing talk show host as Chairman, the replacements for all Board members were drawn from the right wing media, including authors and commentators. Within days, over 30 high-profile ARE personalities and hosts resigned and quit the broadcaster, including 90% of ARE Notizie's newsreaders. Over the course of three weeks, Urbančič and the Board steadily employed replacements, including the entire Executive Committee. New contracts were produced for ARE employees and the planned programme changes were thrown out.
By 2021, ARE has been widely viewed as being seized by the Tribune movement and now the largest and most prominent media mouthpiece for the far-right government. Changes to ARE Notizie's programming specifically fostered criticism of the broadcaster spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories. In 2022, ARE was classified as "biased and ethically compromised" by the Etrurian Association for Journalism and Reporting and operating in complete violating of its charter for political neutrality.
In 2021, ARE was subject to intense controversy after a break-in at the ARE Archive Building in Solaria resulted in deleted footage from a 2017 documentary on the EC membership referendum being leaked to the media, which damaged the Social Democratic Party during the 2021 Etrurian federal election. Both ARE and the National Police Service failed to sufficiently investigate the break-in, leading many to believe a conspiracy had taken place to benefit the governing Tribune Movement.
Organisation
ARE is a Statutory corporation, though subject to the purview of the Federal Ministry for Culture and National Identity and the Parliamentary Committee for Mass Media and Digital Affairs, its activities are overseen by the Board of Governance and regulated by Uficime (Federal Supervisory Office for Technology, Communications and Media). Both the Director-General and the Chair of the Governance Board are appointed by the FMCNI, though are confirmed by the Parliamentary Committee. The broadcaster's activities and standards are defined by the Constitution of Broadcasting which was produced when it was formed in 1920 and is reviewed bi-annually.
Governance
The Board of Governance was formed in November 1938 as part of ARE's inclusion of nascent television. The task of the Board of Governance is to set strategy for the company, assess the performance of the General Executive Committee in the delivery of services to consumers and guarantee the corporation's adherence to the "Founding Constitution." From 1938 to 2019, the Board of Governance appointed the Director-General, until this was handed to the government. The Board of Governance also manages ARE's relationship with Uficime, the national regulator.
The Board of Governance is comprised of the following members:
| Name | Position | Term of office |
|---|---|---|
| Viktor Urbančič | Chairman | 2019-2025 |
| Romolo Simone Minervini | Director-General | 2019-2025 |
| Sofia Maria Scorzi | Senior Director | 2019-2025 |
| Girolamo Urbano | Non-Executive Director | 2019-2025 |
| Aldo Mauro Abate | Non-Executive Director | 2019-2025 |
| Giuseppe Marco Ochetti | Non-Executive Director | 2019-2025 |
| Petar Bučar | Non-Executive Director | 2020-2026 |
| Alessandro Giovanni Maiolo | Member for Vespasian Region | 2019-2025 |
| Florjan Lipuš | Member for Carinthian Region | 2019-2025 |
| Fabijan Medvešek | Member for Novalian Region | 2019-2025 |
| Bojan Janjić | Chief Content Officer | 2019-2025 |
| Cesare Aurelio Panzarella | Chief Operating Officer | 2019-2025 |
The General Executive Committee is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the corporation. Consisting of senior managers of ARE's divisions, the committee meets twice a month and is charged with implementing the strategy devised by the Board of Governance, it is headed by the Director-General, who is Romolo Simone Minervini.
| Name | Position | Term of office |
|---|---|---|
| Romolo Simone Minervini | Director-General | 2019-2025 |
| Bojan Janjić | Chief Content Officer | 2019-2025 |
| Cesare Aurelio Panzarella | Chief Operating Officer | 2019-2025 |
| Antonio Buontalenti | Director for State Operations | 2019-2025 |
| Petra Cicvarić | Director for Creativity - Television | 2019-2025 |
| Lordan Zafranović | Director for Creativity - Radio | 2019-2025 |
| Andrea Baldassare Laurana | Director for News and Current Affairs | 2019-2025 |
| Giovanni Michelucci | Director for Employee Affairs | 2019-2025 |
Funding
Television
ARE currently operates eight national television channels as well as one subsidiary international network, all in high definition (HD). All eight channels are free-to-air via all television providers, including the DVB-T national terrestrial networks; by 2022 the transition to DVB-T2 will be completed, all channels are also available online. ARE Notizie and ARE Uno are available internationally, while Unimondo, the international network is only accessible through cable and satellite providers, but can be accessed online domestically.
All seven channels operate exclusive language variants for the Novalian and Carinthian audiences.
ARE Uno (ARE One)
- ARE's premier channel, which broadcasts a number of programmes including news, soap operas, comedy, light entertainment and films, as well as the Euclovision Song Contest. ARE Uno is also the primary channel for the broadcasting of national events such as the Vittoria Rivodutri, Festa della Liberazione e Unificazione and Festa della Figli di Romolo. All of the channels content is produced domestically, with the notable exceptions being foreign blockbuster films or dramas which are usually first-run imports and broadcast on an ad-hoc basis. ARE Uno broadcasts the fixed morning, midday and evening news content; Nuovo Giornali (7.30am), Aggiornamento di Mezzogiorno (12.00pm) and Bounasera Etruria (8.00pm) respectively. Notably, since 2019, ARE Uno has also carried the controversial "Un'ora con il Presidente" (An Hour with the President), usually broadcast after the evening news programme.
ARE Due (ARE Two)
- ARE Due is dedicated to broadcasting more "high-brow" productions including dramas, television films, televised theatre and operatic productions and cultural showcases. ARE Due has since 1960 produced "Perso da Tempo" (Long Lost) in which celebrity guest stars bring on family heirlooms or artefacts, where they are studied by experts and occasionally sold at auction for charity. Since the early 2000s, ARE Due has moved into niche programming, including arthouse, cultural discussions panel shows and talk shows.
ARE Tre (ARE Three)
- ARE Tre was introduced in 2003 and is dedicated to light entertainment, comedies, archived shows, reality television and youth programming. ARE Tre carries the popular "La Voce Stellare" (The Star Voice), a singing contest and "Solo nel Bosco" (Alone in the Woods) a survivalist celebrity reality show. ARE Three is generally considered to be focused on younger audiences.
ARE Tempo (ARE Time)
- ARE Tempo is dedicated to carrying documentaries, informational, political debate panel shows, educational and select dramas, predominately period or thriller. ARE Tempo has carried "Veritas" (Truth), an investigative news programme since 1988 and has become nationally renowned for historical exposés including 1992 San Marino sex scandal, 1999 Parliamentary pensions scandal and the 2011 Urbano Onoforio sex scandal, which resulted in the resignation of the president. Since 2019, ARE Tempo and Veritas has come under considering criticism and controversy (see below) over its hyper-partisan approach and revisionist documentaries.
ARE Sportivo (ARE Sports)
- ARE Sportivo is premier broadcaster for national sporting events across Etruria. It holds the broadcasting license for Lega I and Lega II, the top two championship leagues in domestic Etrurian football. It is also the broadcaster for the Solarian Open, the Ogled Koroške cycling event, the IFF Coupe du monde and Invictus Games. In 2013, it lost the broadcasting rights to the Accadia Grand Prix and Rugby world cup to Orrizonte24.
ARE Notizie (ARE News)
- ARE Notizie is the channel dedicated to 24 hour news coverage and includes rebroadcasts of the morning, midday and evening news segments from ARE Uno. Since 2019, ARE Notizie has introduced hourly talking shows, including "La Parola" (The Word) and "Fredda Verità" (Cold Truth). These shows take the format of two co-hosts, engaging in hyper-political dialogues and hosting debates with politicians and journalists. These shows and ARE Notizie have been since 2019, consistently accused of misinformation and spreading conspiracy theories. Both La Parola and Fredda Verità have been criticised for only engaging in debates or discussions with supporters or members of the governing Tribune Movement and for being mouthpieces of the government.
ARE Senato (ARE Senate)
- ARE Senato provides broadcasting for the televised events of the Senate of the Federation, including general sessions of the lower and upper chambers, committee hearings and results of votes.
ARE Giovane (ARE Junior)
- ARE Giovane is the channel dedicated to children's programming, including animated and educational shows. During testing seasons, ARE Giovane broadcasts educational and revision shows dedicated to assisting children in their examinations.
Unimondo
Radio
The following radio stations are broadcast on FM in addition to DAB, television and online.
National
Radio Solaria
- Generalist station featuring news and music
ARE Forum
- A talk-show format station dedicated to debate, news and politics
Sport dell'Etere (Aether Sports)
- Dedicated to sports and live commentary of primarily football
ARE Generazione (ARE Generation)
- A music station dedicated to older audiences
Il Sotterraneo (The Underground)
- Dedicated to music, primarily pop, Etrurodance, Euclodance and younger audiences (16-30 year olds)
ARE Ecumene (ARE Ecumene)
- A Catholic station dedicated to news, debate, call-in discussions and Sotirian music
Digital
VoceUno (Voice One)
- A generalist station featuring news, music and politics
OndaSonora (Soundwave)
- A music station dedicated to the latest hits from Etruria and Euclea
Suono d'Etruria (Sound of Etruria)
- A music station dedicated to classical, opera, folk and traditional music produced in Etruria.
Il Pavimento (The Floor)
- A music station dedicated solely to electronic dance music
ARE Notizie (ARE News)
- The 24 hour news service, broadcasts the same programming as its televised counterpart
Convergenza (Convergence)
- A station that operates a series of talk-shows and debates
Programming
News
ARE Notizie is the largest broadcast news gathering operation in Etruria, and one of the largest in the world. It provides services to domestic television networks via ARE Notizie, ARE Senato and AREmondo (the world news service), as well as domestic radio. ARE Notizie also provides news stories via its website and eARE, its smartphone app, accessible to mobile phones and PDAs, the online service also provides alerts by email, text message and desktop notifications.
According to annual ratings figures, ARE Notizie remains the most viewed news provider in Etruria, securing 54% of national audiences, it's primary audience remains those aged 40-50, 60-70 and above, it rates the lowest among young viewers and those aged 18-30. However, during times of national importance, such as federal or state elections, natural disasters or global events, ARE's viewership increases markedly as it draws in younger viewers from its privately owned competitors.
ARE Notizie itself offers 24 hour broadcasting, with three hour-long programmes dedicated to the morning, midday and evening news, which are also broadcast on ARE Uno, Buongiorno (7.30am), Aggiornamento di Mezzogiorno (12.00pm) and Bounasera Etruria (8.00pm). These programmes cover the days news headlines, while the evening show, Bounasera Etruria includes a 15-minute segment on the next day's newspaper headlines and analysis. Since 2019 however, ARE Notizie has also launched two new shows La Parola" (The Word) and "Fredda Verità" (Cold Truth). La Parola is broadcast at 9.00am and runs for an hour and takes the form of a panel discussion show about ongoing political stories and topics. Fredda Verità runs at 9.00pm and is hosted by Marta Giambattista and Rafaella Schiano who engage in dialogues and interview politicians and commentators about varying issues. Both shows, but Fredda Verità more specifically are deeply personalised and loose in format. Both shows were introduced after the 2019 ARE sacking affair, in which the governing far-right Tribune Movement government sacked the executive board of ARE and replaced them with politically motivated figures, as such, both shows are widely accused of bias toward the Tribune Movement and have been described as the "physical manifestation of ARE's corruption under the Tribunes."
General entertainment
General entertainment on ARE is primarily provided by ARE Uno ARE Due and ARE Tre though differing in style, genre and format. ARE Uno broadcasts the country's most popular soap operas, including "La Piazza" (The Square, launched in 1990) and "Su per la Montagna" (Up the Mountain, launched in 1991). ARE Uno is also the broadcaster for Euclovision, the annual continental singing competition. ARE Due, being the primary broadcaster of dramas provides shows such as "La stanza" (The Room, launched in 2003), a police procedural drama and "Santa Maria" (Saint Mary, launched in 1989), a medical procedural drama.
ARE Tre was launched in 2003 to provide light entertainment as well as target younger audiences. It is the primary carrier for reality television, sit-coms and televised comedy shows. Its headline shows include "La Voce Stellare" (The Star Voice, launched in 2006), a singing competition and "Solo nel Bosco" (Alone in the Woods), a reality television show dedicated to celebrities being dropped into the Santa Caterina National Forest and forced into survivalist situations. In 2010, ARE Tre launched "Una Serata in Anfiteatro" (An Evening in the Amphitheatre), a televised comedy show hosted at the Solarian-built Schiuntrave amphitheatre.
Documentaries
ARE has a long legacy of producing award-winning documentaries, several of which have served as exposes of scandals and political events. ARE Tempo (ARE Time) is dedicated to airing documentaries, informational, political debate panel shows, educational and select dramas, predominately period or thrillers. "Veritas" (Truth, launched in 1988) is an award winning investigative news program since 1988 and has become nationally renowned for historical exposés including 1992 San Marino sex scandal, 1999 Parliamentary pensions scandal and the 2011 Urbano Onoforio sex scandal, which resulted in the resignation of the president.
Other programs include documentaries on Ancient Solaria, the middle ages, renaissance, Etrurian First Republic, Great War, Solarian War, nature documentaries and documentaries on key political events in Etrurian and Euclean history. Several of ARE's historical documentaries are re-recorded with subtitles or voice overs in foreign languages for export to foreign broadcasters.
Sport
ARE Sportivo is premier broadcaster for national sporting events across Etruria. It holds the broadcasting license for Lega I and Lega II, the top two championship leagues in domestic Etrurian football. It is also the broadcaster for the Solarian Open, the Ogled Koroške cycling event, the IFF Coupe du monde and Invictus Games. In 2013, it lost the broadcasting rights to the Accadia Grand Prix and Rugby World Cup to Orrizonte24.
Controversies
Political bias and fairness
Since 1984 and its restructuring toward greater autonomy from government, the broadcaster was long accused of political bias by viewers and political parties. During the 1980s and 1990s, the broadcaster was widely seen to sit in the centre, providing a relatively neutral coverage of the centre-left (SD) and the centre-right (PFE). However, during this period, the far-left and far-right would regularly accuse the broadcaster of denying them airtime or being dismissive of their politics or respective political parties. Though, due to the marginalisation of the two extremes this issue rarely found purchase among significant numbers of viewers.
During the government of Vinko Begović (SD), its relationship with ARE was scrutinised repeatedly by the Etrurian Federalist Party, the party of opposition at the time. The Begović government employed a number of former ARE employees, this was made stark by an expose in 2003, detailing how the entire Media Affairs Office (Ufficio Affari Media) was comprised entirely of former ARE producers, writers and creators. The PFE regularly accused the ARE of bias toward the SD-led coalition of the time a criticism made generally by PFE supporters. In 2006, the UAM staff were replaced after it was revealed the office used its connections to bury negative stories about the government.
ARE's relations with the PFE further soured in 2011, with the expose broadcast by its "Veritas" (Truth) show, on ARE Tempo, that revealed President Urbano Onoforio's extramarital affair with his secretary and the existence of a love child. The PFE government led by Onoforio accused ARE of a hatchet job and political assassination, though pressure from the party's right-wing forced Onoforio to resign. His successor, Emiliano Reali immediately sought to repair relations with ARE.
In the mid-2010s, with the rise the far-right Tribune Movement and centrist Citizens' Alliance, accusations of bias in support of both traditional parties grew exponentially. The Tribune Movement especially regularly accused ARE of being "anti-Etrurian" and "devoid of patriotism." The 2016 EC membership referendum would also lead to ARE being marred in accusations of bias, with its reporters and main shows on ARE Notizie and news segments on ARE Uno being firmly pro-EC membership. During the Second Televised Debate between the Yes and No camps, the ARE moderator Giulia Maria Rossi was given a formal warning by her superiors after she accused Francesco Carcaterra (leader of the No campaign and Tribune Movement) of being a "liar, a deceiver and false idol." The next day, Carcaterra vowed to see "ARE stripped bare and rebuilt as a broadcaster for Etrurians not Euclocrats."
ARE was also marred by the Miraviglia scandal, the largest corruption case in Etrurian political history. When the story broke that prominent federal judges were investigating possible corrupt practices involving business people and the ruling Etrurian Federalist Party, ARE failed to mention it in either its televised news segments or its website. By June 2016, it was now public knowledge that the PFE's biggest donor and personal friend of President Emiliano Reali had been arrested and charged with various offences, ARE only provided limited coverage, focusing on the ongoing EC referendum campaign. ARE was openly accused of limiting coverage for the benefit of the government and pro-EC campaigns after a number of cabinet ministers were arrested for embezzling federal funds, though this was denied.
2019 sacking affair and subsequent bias
In 2019, its poor relations with the Tribune government ultimately led to the Sacking Affair in which the entire Board of Governance was removed by Alessandro Torcivia, the Federal Minister for Culture and National Identity. The government's justification was that the broadcaster was being driven into the "abyss content wise and financially by a board and chairman who simply do not know what they are doing." Public anger and opposition to proposed programme changes including the cancellation of popular legacy shows, coupled with poor financial management were printed in the government notification announcing the sacking on 4 September 2019. On 6 September, the government appointed Viktor Urbančič as Chairman, and was confirmed by a majority vote in the Chamber of Representatives. Urbančič was a media producer who ran the popular right-wing Novalija24 news channel. Though previously a member of the Farmers and Workers Union, a national conservative party in Novalia and allied to the Tribune Movement through Patria, Urbančič had made numerous remarks and social media posts expressing his support for the government. Urbančič appointed Romolo Simone Minervini, a prominent businessman from Il Dogado and a donor to the Tribune Movement as Director-General, this was followed by the appointment of other right-wing figures as Non-Executive Directors. On 10 September, Bojan Janjić a former employee of Novalija24 was appointed Chief Content Officer.
The radical changes at the top of the broadcaster sparked a mass walkout and resignations by ARE's long-time employees, including 90% of ARE Notizie's newsreaders and over 85% of the news station's staff. This was followed by resignations by radio and television hosts. This mass-walkout was supported by the Social Democratic Party and Citizens' Alliance who believed the collapse of ARE's ability to function would force a u-turn by the government. However, relying on a skeleton staff through to early October, ARE's vacancies were filled by further employees of Novaljia24 and employees of Palestrina Oggi, TV Stella Eolia and Tarpea Universale, regional radio and television studios also notably pro-Tribune Movement.
With many described as a "purge and state capture event", the repeated accusations of political bias within ARE changed dramatically, to near universal accusations of ARE becoming a mouthpiece of the Tribune government. ARE Notizie's televised shows all-but ignore the opposition parties, and if coverage is provided it is overwhelmingly negative. The online website for the news service is also written in a highly provocative manner and often lavishes praise on the government. ARE Notizie, ARE Due (ARE Two) and ARE Tempo (ARE Time) have been accused of broadcasting misinformation and conspiracy theories propagated by the Tribune Movement. In 2020, ARE was forced to take off air a documentary broadcast on ARE Tempo that discussed the racist Great Replacement as a certifiable fact.
During the 2021 Etrurian federal election, ARE dedicated just 15% of its coverage of the election to the opposition parties, while 85% was dedicated to the Tribune Movement, Farmers and Workers Union and Social Party of the Third Order. The broadcaster also repeated salacious claims by the Tribunes of links between the Social Democratic Party and violent hard-left agitation groups and played a prominent role in stirring mass hysteria over the Etrurian Subsection of the Satrian Section of the Workers International, which resulted in the death of Shreya Patil.
2022 advertising scandal
In 2022, the Etrurian political magazine Politiche101 published a story detailing how since 2019, advertising on ARE has been restricted to companies with known close links to the Tribune Movement. Due to the broadcaster's dominant role in Etrurian media, securing advertising on its channels is a lucrative objective. The magazine also noted that commercials on ARE's televised channels are markedly edited or changed compared to their originals shown on private competitors, this included the removal of a same-sex couple from a house insurance commercial, the removal of people of colour from at least ten repeated commercials and the introduction of short message videos from the Tribune government itself, in violation of the 2008 Electoral Law.
Censorship and civil rights controversies
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ARE has been and remains frequently subjected to controversies and censorship accusation around political matters, especially civil rights and LGBT issues.
In 2008 and 2009, ARE was accused of cutting gay kisses and gay love scenes from two prominent international blockbuster movies. In each case, ARE apologised citing overzealous editors or failures for second-eye checks on initially editing, only to re-air the movies with the same scenes still cut. ARE apologised citing technical errors in the editing process and re-aired both movies again unedited but in late-night slots well beyond primetime watching. One of the movies, "I Yearn" was re-aired in 2011 again with the gay love scene cut out, a repeat of its previous re-airing late at night prompted fresh accusations of censorship.
In 2013, during the live broadcast of the comedy stage show "Corte del Re Giullare" (Court of the Jester King) on ARE Tre, two male comedians Ludovico Amate and Giuseppe Zingaretti kissed as part of a double-act. In subsequent repeat airings of the show, the scene was cut prompting calls of censorship. ARE apologised citing faults on the footage provided by the distribution company and that it would request a replacement. In 2016, it was re-aired again with the scene cut out.
In 2012, a serial crime drama called "Per l'amor di Sotirio" (For Sotirias' Sake) was re-titled in "In nome di Dio" (In God's Name) and listed on the television guide as such. ARE refused to apologise citing its desire to "avoid controversy."
In 2020, an Scovernois anthology series covering the lives of families unable to conceive, an entire episode following a same-sex female couple attempting to adopt was cut entirely from being broadcast. ARE apologised citing the distribution material lacking the episode entirely and promised to investigate. Three weeks later, the episode was aired but in a late-night slot beyond primetime.
In 2021, during a televised music concert in Faulia, the popular singer Simone dedicated his song to the "oppressed people of Etruria, you beautiful people, all the gay and lebsian people, our immigrant friends and neighbours, know the people love you and you are our people", which he said on stage, half-way through his statement ARE cut the feed to a commercial break, while its private competitors, Orrizonte24 and CanaleUno kept broadcasting. ARE denied any wrongdoing despite claims of censoring the singer.