Voice of Dissent Silenced as Berlusconi's Media Group Gags TV Comedian

[DUreader]

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1091319,00.html




Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been
accused of suffering a sense-of-humour failure
after his media group sued a comedian for
spreading 'lies and insinuations' about it.

Today, instead of broadcasting her stand-up
political satire act on state television as planned,
Italian comedian Sabina Guzzanti is preparing to
decamp to a concert hall in Rome, disappointing
the two million viewers who tuned into the first
edition of her show last week.

Since Berlusconi's media group Mediaset took
legal action against the comedian, the state
television company RAI has shelved the show
temporarily, citing legal reasons.

In the first instalment of the show, called RaiOt
(pronounced 'riot') - Weapons of Mass
Distraction, Guzzanti tore into almost every figure
in Italian public life, including the Prime Minister and
the director of state television. She also touched
on issues such as the public display of crucifixes
and international support for Israel.

[rfranklin]

1. Government-owned media = fascism

We have it here too.

[DUreader]

2. Media owned gov. too

Seems we do

[Mika]

3. Oh, please

"Government-owned media = fascism"

In response,

http://www.granma.cu/ingles/index.html

Nope.. no fascism there.