The head of the sports division of Italian state broadcaster RAI has stepped down after a gaffe-filled commentary during the Olympics opening ceremony, the company announced on Thursday.
Paulo Petrecca has faced anger from the network's journalists even before the latest embarrassment due to his reported close ties with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who had already been accused of turning news channels into “TeleMeloni.”
During the live RAI coverage of the Olympics opening, seen by more than nine million people, Petrecca mixed up the venue, mistook Italian actress Matilda De Angelis for US singer Mariah Carey, and confused International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry for the daughter of the Italian president.
Petrecca’s departure followed nearly two weeks of protests from reporters in response to the controversy. Many journalists had also begun to withhold their bylines from their Olympic coverage in protest.
RAI’s leadership has dealt “enormous damage to the image and reputation of the company” that the sports boss’ resignation will not fix, journalists’ union Usigrai said in a statement on Thursday. Unlike Petrecca, the broadcaster’s top leadership has not taken responsibility, it stressed.
The union is set to resume striking once the Games are over.
Stefano Graziano, leader of the Democratic Party group on the RAI oversight commission, has welcomed the news chief’s resignation, but said it “came too late.”
Petrecca is the emblem of ‘TeleMeloni’ and of the government’s approach to prioritizing political affiliation and proximity over merit and the valorization of professional skills.
This approach has ultimately “weakened the authority” of both RAI and the rest of Italy’s media, he said.
Even before the recent controversy, Petrecca reportedly feuded with his studio’s editorial staff, who had rejected his plans, citing huge spending and over-reliance on outsourcing.
The Italian opposition has argued that despite his resignation, RAI is still stacked with other Meloni appointees, according to ANSA news agency. The Italian prime minister’s right-wing government has rejected the criticism, arguing that the broadcaster was long dominated by the center-left.