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 Logo used since 2016 | |
| Country | Italy |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Italy |
| Headquarters | Rome, Italy |
| Programming | |
| Language | Italian |
| Picture format | 1080iHDTV (downscaled to16:9576i for theSDTV feed) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | RAI |
| Sister channels | Rai 1 Rai 3 Rai 4 Rai 5 Rai Gulp Rai Movie Rai News 24 Rai Premium Rai Scuola Rai Sport Rai Storia Rai Yoyo Rai Ladinia Rai Südtirol Rai Italia |
| History | |
| Launched | 4 November 1961; 64 years ago (1961-11-04) |
| Former names | Secondo Programma (1961–1975) Rete 2 (1975–1983) Rai Due (1983–2010) |
| Links | |
| Website | rai |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| Digital terrestrial television | Channel 2 (HD) Channel 502 (SD) |
| Streaming media | |
| RaiPlay | Live Streaming (Only in Italy) |
Rai 2 is an Italianfree-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-ownedpublic broadcasterRAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. It is the company's second television channel, and is known for broadcastingTG2 news bulletins, talk shows, reality television, drama series, sitcoms, cartoons andinfotainment. In the 1980s it was known for its political affiliation to theItalian Socialist Party, it has shifted recently its focus towards the youth, including in its schedule reality shows, entertainment, TV series, news, knowledge and sports.
The secondtelevision channel in Italy, it was launched on 4 November 1961, seven years after RAI'sfirst channel was launched on 3 January 1954. The channel was initially referred to as "Secondo Programma". It received other names, such as "Rete 2" and "Rai Due" until it adopted its current name "Rai 2". It is a direct competitor toMediaset'sItalia 1. It is also a state-owned channel like Rai 1.
Rai announced the opening of its second television network in late 1960. Its early plans suggested that the network would open by the autumn of 1961. In the company's roadmap, it was planned that Rai would have 32 transmitters and 11 relayers carrying the service by year-end 1962.[1]
This evening for us, citizens of the monoscope, subjects of the antennas, inscribed in the roles of the telescreen, this is a great day. A few minutes ago, on the building in via Teulada, a 17-inch hand displayed a white ribbon. And then you all know it: the Second Channel was born. Do you want to see the newborn? Ssssht, be quiet, he's so small. But the doctor says he will turn out very well. Anyway, shall we take a look at it? [...] Have you seen? His fate is already sealed, he was born in the name of victory. And now tell me that I'm rhetorical, that I'm sentimental but I want to dedicate a toast to this second television son. Cheers Second Channel! We consider you a friend and even if, as in the dynasties of monarchs, you bear the name Canale Secondo, we wish you to be second to none and now, little new channel, good night.
Rai 2 begins its regular broadcasts on 4 November 1961 (after three months of experimental broadcasts, starting from 1 August that same year[3]) under the nameSecondo Programma: the birth of Rai's second network was baptized byAba Cercato, who presented the inaugural broadcast of the nascent channel, dedicated to theFirst World War, with the airing ofGiuseppe Dessi's miniseriesLa trincea, given the coincidence of the launch of the channel withNational Unity and Armed Forces Day; the birth of the new channel was also celebrated byMina duringStudio Uno, on the air, though, onProgramma Nazionale, the extant network.[4] Its first director wasAngelo Romanò, flanked by Fabio Borrelli andPier Emilio Gennarini.
Already from its inception, the channel had the aim of broadcasting alternative programming to that of Programma Nazionale, but for a long time, it was considered Rai'sminor channel: its programmes had much more limited budgets compared to the first channel and furthermore, while the variety shows on the National Programme featured the great stars of the time as protagonists, on the Second Programme instead space was given to the new talents of entertainment who, once they achieved popularity, were "promoted" on the first channel. Some examples in this sense areDiamoci tu andTeatro 11.
Precisely because of this dynamic and experimental vocation, the channel proved to be a true hotbed of talent, who would later become stars of the first magnitude on the television scene and beyond, and also of newformats. Starting from 1965,Jeux Sans Frontières (where Italy would eventually take part in every edition) aroused interest throughout the country; furthermore in 1969Renzo Arbore debuted with the variety showSpeciale per voi, one of the first television programmes aimed at a young audience with musical guests and studio debates; in 1967 another historic summer event began to be broadcast, theFestivalbar, a musical event that became an event for young people. In 1970,Rischiatutto debuted, the famous game show byMike Bongiorno which became a great success, so much so that the Rai top management decided to move it to the first channel for the 1972 and 1974 finals.
From its first day on air the channel airedTelegiornale del Secondo Programma (the currentTG2), a brief news bulletin that aired afterTelegiornale which had the aim of informing all those viewers who had missed the news on the first channel; this news programme, which included rapid investigations and quicker news, was produced in a different way than that of the Programma Nazionale.[5]Enzo Biagi, already director of Telegiornale, debuted as a presenter in 1962 on Secondo Programma withRT Rotocalco Televisivo, the first Italian topical magazine programme.
In these years, Secondo Programma aired TV series and miniseries produced for the channel (with a smaller budget than their counterparts on Programma Nazionale): these includedMastro Don Gesualdo,L'ultima boheme,Paura per Janet and the French miniseriesBelphegor, or the Phantom of the Louvre, this last one also repeated on the first channel. In the early 70s, it aired programs related to animation, such asMille e una sera andGULP! - I Fumetti in TV. Even the second channel reserved a small slot for advertising, in alternative to the first channel'sCarosello withIntermezzo, which aired until the end of 1976.
With the 1975 RAI reforms, Secondo Programma, in 1976, was given the new nameRete 2 (Network 2), and as consequence, Telegiornale del Secondo Programma becameTG2, separating itself from the extant Telegiornale brand (eventually becomingTG1) and becoming completely autonomous; the network and its newscast were given their own directives, assuring the contents they aired. The first network and TG2 directors were respectivelyMassimo Fichera (nominated on 2 December 1975)[6] andAndrea Barbato (nominated on 16 December), of Socialist expression.[7]
The network declared itself more youthful and experimental in contrast to Rete 1: here, programs such asL'altra domenica came to be, seen as an alternative toDomenica in, aired until the early 80s, andBuonasera con..., program which featured the participation of showbiz personalities. Still under Fichera's management, other programs deemed controversial for its period were born, such asOdeon, airing from 1976 to 1978,Stryx, aired in 1978 and presented byTony Renis,Onda libera (noted under the nameTelevacca) presentedRoberto Benigni and the historic tourist travel programSereno variabile, presented byOsvaldo Bevilacqua, which aired until 2019. In 1979, the channel airs theProcesso per stupro.
There was alsoPortobello, created and hosted by Enzo Tortora, who returned to Rai after eight years of exile spent managing local stations. The program aired starting in May 1977; initially placed in late evening and broadcast in black and white, after a short time it became a successful program so much so that from the following autumn it was promoted to prime time and began to be broadcast in color (in reality it should have broadcast with this system from the first episode, so as to be officially the first color program on the channel, but the studios at the Milan fair from where it was broadcast were only equipped at the beginning of 1978).
Until 1975, regular broadcasting was inblack-and-white, with very few exceptions. In late 1975, then-calledRete 2 began airing some new programmes in colour, then beginning semi-regular colour broadcasting during the autumn season (a few hours a week).Rai 1 followed its "sister network" a few months later. Eventually, regular broadcasting in colour began on 1 February 1977.
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