Dear Current TV President,

Members of the Popolo Viola, an open movement created via the initiative of some bloggers and spread by word of mouth on the Social Network Facebook, wish to thank you for having accommodated journalist Michele Santoro on Current TV in occasion of the today's “Raiperunanotte” demonstration. Michele Santoro, Marco Travaglio, Daniele Luttazzi, Sandro Ruotolo, Milena Gabbanelli, Beppe Grillo, Vauro Senesi are only a few of the public figures that have fallen victim to mediatic persecution from the highest levels of the Italian Government (as has emerged recently from the Trani inquiry, in which Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is directly implicated), whom they consider political adversaries, to be silenced, while their true intent is merely to inform us. For this reason, in Italy, they are considered true icons to be defended with all our might. Attached to the bottom of this letter you will find 6600 signatures collected on Facebook since March 09, 2010, asking, with one voice, the writers of “Il Fatto Quotidiano” to produce for us a truly independent television news broadcast, free from any and all government propaganda, of which we have become accustomed to endure. We are very worried because, despite the fact the internet remains the last truly free information media, there have been attempts by the Italian Parliament to limit the freedom of expression of Bloggers who do not share the views of the government which, on the other hand, controls directly or indirectly more than 90% of the Italian television broadcasting (according to The Economist's findings). We have sent you this letter to plead with you and request the possibility of affording space on Current TV to the above-mentioned persons, thus guaranteeing the plurality of televised information. The following is a brief chronology of events we believe will allow you to better understand how we have arrived at this serious situation in a free and democratic country.

1/26/1978: Silvio Berlusconi enrolls in Propaganda 2 Masonic lodge.
9/7/1978: Fininvest TV group (later Mediaset) is founded.
8/16/1984: Bettino Craxi allows all Mediaset private channels to broadcast nationwide with a Law Decree, as a favour to Berlusconi.
7/12/1996: All Iberian 1 investigations discover that 20 billion Lire (approx 10 million EURO) have been transferred from Berlusconi to Craxi’s private bank account between January 1991 and November 1992.
1/16/1991: Studio Aperto is launched, the first Mediaset newscast.
3/22/1993: For the first time TG 5, another Mediaset newscast (Canale 5), audience is larger than TG 1 (RAI).
1/18/1994: Forza Italia party is founded by Silvio Berlusconi.
7/31/1997: AGCOM is founded. It must guarantee an unbiased information, complete and objective.
4/18/2002: Prime Minister Berlusconi complains with RAI because such journalists as Enzo Biagi , Michele Santoro and satiric author Daniele Luttazzi, who are critical against Berlusconi’s doing, are allowed to have their own talk shows on public TV and requests that they are fired.
1/26/2005: Tribunal of Rome condemns RAI to reinstate Michele Santoro in his position as editor and anchorman of his talk shows as he used to be in 2001/2002.
1/ 31/2008: European Court of Justice fines Italy for 130 million Euros per year for the illegal occupation of television frequencies by Rete 4. Rete 4 is yet another Mediaset channel and by the European Court order had to be transferred onto the satellite network, which it did not happen.
5/12/2009: Some Bloggers connecting through the web and internet social forum, such as Facebook, organize a a nonpartisan national demonstration against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. In excess of 400,000 people gather in Rome to peacefully and firmly demonstrate.
3/2/2010: RAI board of Directors decides to stop Information Talk Shows during the pre-electoral days due to a possible risk of infringement of “par-condicio”. Yet these talk shows are of informative nature, not political tribunes which have to undergo the “par condicio” law.
3/11/2010: Open Society Justice Initiative denounces Prime minister Silvio Berlusconi to European Court of Human Rights for not respecting the European laws about information pluralism and an anti-competitive conduct in managing the Italian Broadcasting market.
3/12/2010: Investigation in Trani discovers by accident Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s aggressive pressure on the Independent Agency for Communications (AGCOM) in order to stop Michele Santoro “Annozero” talkshow. Reportedly, his claim is that because the AGCOM President has been appointed to that position thanks to Berlusconi’ s will, now he has to pay his due and do what the boss says.
3/25/2010: The journalist Michele Santoro and other colleagues decide to organize an event against the RAI Board of Director decision to stop all the information Talkshows in public televisions. The event is called “Raiperunanotte” and will be broadcasted through internet and by some others TV channels, but not by RAI, Mediaset or Telecom Italia.

Best Regards,
Telegiornale Viola Fans (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Telegiornale-Viola/390904912328)