Umbria TV

Umbria TV is an Italian regional television channel headquartered in Perugia, the capital of the Umbria region. It was founded in 1979 with the aim of providing daily news coverage of its home region, and it has remained a fixture of Umbrian local broadcasting ever since. Its editorial identity is built on two pillars that its own corporate profile highlights: information as a service to the regional community, and sport, for which it claims the widest and most qualified programming in the area and top audience figures. The station's early history was tied to the orbit of the Italian Communist Party, as part of the Nuova Emittenza Televisiva (NET) network; the Terni-based broadcaster Telegalileo operated de facto as its Terni newsroom under the name Umbria TV Galileo. After NET dissolved, Umbria TV came under the management of a cooperative. During the 1990s it faced intense competition from rival regional broadcasters such as RTE 24H, Teleumbria, TeF and Reteumbria, and it repeatedly risked being blacked out over licensing problems — a threat that materialised in spring 1994, when regular programming was interrupted by non-stop live broadcasts until an appeal was upheld and a semi-regional licence was granted. Further blackout attempts in 1992 and 1998 were averted by regional political mobilisation. In the second half of the decade it affiliated with Odeon TV and with the satellite all-news channel Team TV. In the early 2000s Umbria TV joined the Gruppo Colaiacovo. For several years it also broadcast by satellite as Umbria Channel, but those transmissions ceased in September 2010 because of high operating costs and the impossibility of simulcasting the terrestrial schedule; since then its programmes have been available live and in full via its website. Ahead of the switch to digital terrestrial television it launched a set of spin-off channels: Umbria TV Tuttosport (18 December 2011), Umbria TV Gold (3 January 2012), Umbria TV Tuttoshop (23 February 2012, removed after a few months) and Umbria TV Plus, a one-hour-delayed feed of the main channel (1 March 2012). It has also retransmitted content from thematic networks including SuperTennis and, in the past, Play.me, Nuvolari and the 7 Gold circuit. Editorially, Umbria TV produces regional newscasts alongside information, sport and entertainment programmes. Its sports output includes Fuori Campo, dedicated to the Perugia football club, L'Anticipo and Contropiede, and its talk shows include In Umbria, CNA Informa and Spazio Agricoltura. Since 2022 it has added a night-time edition of its newscast with a press review, and a 13:00 edition preceded by the information slot L'Aperitivo. The channel's best-known journalistic moment came in 1997, when its cameraman Paolo Antolini captured the collapse of the vault of the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi during the Umbria-Marche earthquake — footage broadcast by television stations around the world. The station has also received the "Penne Pulite" journalism prize. Its current editor-in-chief (direttore responsabile) is Giacomo Marinelli Andreoli, and its general manager is Emanuele Mapelli.

Umbria TV was founded in 1979 as a regional television station intended to tell the daily news of its own region, Umbria, from its base in Perugia. In the early part of its history it gravitated within the orbit of the Italian Communist Party, forming part of the Nuova Emittenza Televisiva (NET) network. During this period the Terni-based broadcaster Telegalileo functioned de facto as the Terni newsroom of the Perugia-based Umbria TV, operating under the name Umbria TV Galileo. When the NET circuit dissolved, Umbria TV passed under the management of a cooperative. In the 1990s the station suffered, in both audience ratings and advertising sales, from competition with broadcasters such as RTE 24H, Teleumbria, TeF and Reteumbria. It also repeatedly risked being taken off air because of licensing problems. This risk materialised in spring 1994: following that episode, regular programming was interrupted and replaced by non-stop live broadcasts until an appeal was accepted and a semi-regional licence was subsequently issued. Two further blackout attempts occurred, in 1992 and especially in 1998 — the year after the most important scoop in the station's history, when it was the only broadcaster to film the collapse of the vault of the upper basilica in Assisi during the Umbria-Marche earthquake. In both cases, however, regional political mobilisation prevented the interruption of transmissions. In the second half of the decade Umbria TV affiliated with Odeon TV — even though that network was already present in Umbria through the multi-regional RTV 38 — and with the satellite all-news channel Team TV, in response to rival RTE 24H's affiliation with the Cinquestelle and Italia News Network networks. In the early 2000s Umbria TV became part of the Gruppo Colaiacovo. For several years it also broadcast via satellite under the name Umbria Channel, but these transmissions ceased in September 2010 because of high operating costs and the impossibility of broadcasting the same terrestrial schedule by satellite. As compensation, from then on its programmes were made visible live and in full through its website. Ahead of the transition to digital terrestrial television, several support channels were created: Umbria TV Tuttosport (18 December 2011), Umbria TV Gold (3 January 2012), Umbria TV Tuttoshop (23 February 2012, removed after a few months) and Umbria TV Plus, i.e. Umbria TV's programming delayed by one hour (1 March 2012). In addition, the channel retransmits some content from the thematic network SuperTennis and, in the past, from Play.me, Nuvolari and the 7 Gold circuit. Editorially, the station offers regional newscasts plus information, sports and entertainment programmes. Among these are Fuori Campo, dedicated to the Perugia football club, L'Anticipo and Contropiede, dedicated to sport, and the talk shows In Umbria, CNA Informa and Spazio Agricoltura. Since 2022, a night-time edition of the newscast with a press review has been introduced, along with a 13:00 edition preceded by the information slot L'Aperitivo. The station's own corporate profile stresses that information as a service to the regional community and sport are its points of excellence, that it has long held the record for the widest and most qualified sports programming with top audience figures, and that it has moved to high-definition digital production. It also highlights national recognition, including the "Penne Pulite" journalism prize, and the work of cameraman Paolo Antolini, whose footage of the 1997 collapse of the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi was broadcast by television stations around the world and earned him prestigious awards and the title of reporter of the year. The current editor-in-chief is Giacomo Marinelli Andreoli, and the general manager is Emanuele Mapelli.

• 2022

  A night-time newscast edition with press review and a 13:00 edition preceded by L'Aperitivo are introduced.

• 2012

  Umbria TV Gold launches on 3 January, Umbria TV Tuttoshop on 23 February (removed after a few months) and Umbria TV Plus on 1 March.

• 2011

  Umbria TV Tuttosport launches on 18 December ahead of the digital terrestrial switchover.

• 2010

  Satellite broadcasts under the name Umbria Channel cease in September; programmes become available live and in full via the website.

• 2000

  Umbria TV joins the Gruppo Colaiacovo (early 2000s).

• 1998

  A further blackout attempt is averted by regional political mobilisation.

• 1997

  Cameraman Paolo Antolini films the collapse of the vault of the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi during the Umbria-Marche earthquake; the footage is broadcast worldwide.

• 1994

  Regular programming is interrupted in spring; non-stop live broadcasts continue until an appeal is upheld and a semi-regional licence is issued.

• 1992

  A first attempt to take the station off air over licensing issues is averted by regional political mobilisation.

• 1979

  Umbria TV is founded as a regional television station based in Perugia.

Regional broadcaster positioning itself as a daily, serious information service for Umbria and as the region's leading sports broadcaster, with a strong local-territory identity ("una finestra sempre aperta sul territorio").

• Telegiornale dell'Umbria

  Regional newscast, with evening, night-time (with press review) and 13:00 editions.

• Fuori Campo

  Programme dedicated to the Perugia football club.

• L'Anticipo

  Sports programme.

• Contropiede

  Sports programme.

• In Umbria

  Talk show.

• CNA Informa

  Talk show.

• Spazio Agricoltura

  Talk show.

• L'Aperitivo

  Information slot preceding the 13:00 newscast.

• Umbria TV Tuttosport

  Sports spin-off channel launched 18 December 2011.

• Umbria TV Gold

  Spin-off channel launched 3 January 2012.

• Umbria TV Plus

  One-hour-delayed feed of Umbria TV, launched 1 March 2012.

1. 1Umbria TV official websiteumbriatv.com
2. 2Chi Siamo - Umbria TVumbriatv.com
3. 3Umbria TV - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Umbria TV - Wikipedia (Italian)it.wikipedia.org