The history of Fininvest/Mediaset’s media strategy

30 Years of politics, the market, technology and Italian society

Bibliographic Data

ID7509983
AuthorsGabriele Balbi (0000-0001-7752-277X, Università della Svizzera italiana, corresponding author), Benedetta Prario (Università della Svizzera italiana)
Year2010
Volume32
Issue3
Pages391-409
Publication date2010-05-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueMedia Culture & Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0163-4437 • E-ISSN: 1460-3675
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0163443709361169
OpenAlexW2156610852
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited2

In this article we will analyse Fininvest/Mediaset’s strategies in the media sector from its foundation to the present, considering four variables: politics, the market, technology and society. In particular, we will try to establish if, and to what extent, these four factors have affected and, in turn, have been affected by the company’s strategies. Our interest in studying Mediaset stems from the pivotal role the company plays in the Italian television and media sector. Indeed, according to European Audiovisual Observatory sources (2006: 8), Mediaset is now the leading Italian media enterprise and ranks 17th in the world, registering a turnover of €3397 million. Its core business is commercial television but, as we will see, in recent years it has continued to branch out and expand. First, it focused on the internet, then on digital terrestrial TV and, finally, on mobile TV. The key role that Mediaset now plays in the communications industry has spurred us to investigate the history of the group from its origins for two reasons. First, to discover whether, and if so which of the company’s current distinctive characteristics have distant origins. Second, to attempt to identify a guiding thread in Fininvest/Mediaset’s strategies, accompanying its success and favouring its presence in the Italian media market for over 30 years. Even if a number of primary sources were used, the truly innovative element of this research is its multi-target approach. We have avoided focusing solely on one aspect of the group’s history and, instead, have tried to set the entire history of Fininvest/Mediaset within a broader framework, encompassing political, economic, technological and social considerations

Economic history · Media studies · Political science · Politics · Sociology · History · Law · Media Influence and Politics · Media Studies and Communication

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