PRESS RELEASE
Media, Pagano (Radicals/ERA): “MTV Italy discriminates Italians and Linguistic Minorities”
Statement by Giorgio Pagano, Radicals/ERA
“MTV Italy’s policy is discriminatory: immensely popular shows are broadcasted live in English, without even including subtitles to respect the right of Italian mothertongue speakers. Aside from that it is offensive to all those fighting in order to safeguard linguistic minorities in Italy and respect the expected norms of communication,” Giorgio Pagano, Secretary of the “Esperanto” Radical Association stated.
“Prof. Robert Phillipson, one of the most specialized linguistic colonization experts of the world, spoke at out national assembly, that was held on May 28, and explained how the language situation in some Scandanaviam countries, where, less than 10 years ago, programmes were transmitted entirely in English, shows that the situation has grown so serious that, although late, it pushes for salvation of the national language. We do not wish to witness the same problem, considering that even the MIUR’s linguistic policies and the enormous cuts taking place in the Italian organs that are meant for preserving the language. We are extremely concerned for the national situation: what we are witnessing is a phenomenon which, just in time for the 150th anniversary of Italy’s unification, remind us of the provision once taken by the Austrians during the risorgimento period, where the colonizers once took care to impose the German language in the goverment and in the media, today, English is being imposed upon us,” Pagano continued.
“MTV’s behaviour, among other things, is serious putting children’s protection i to perspective: the show, MTV Movie Awards, which was re-broadcasted yesterdaya during prime-time (which, it can be added, is greatly followed by underage viewers), various scenes of sexual nature, and absolutely inappropriate for primetime, were broadcasted without interruption. The fact is that a sanction has recently been applied due to the excessive presence of the primeminister on more than once television network and the infringements that occurr are punished is all a symbol of democracy: however, the sanctions are ignored if appled to all the Head of State’s interviews and the head of Goverment, and nobody moves a finger to protest against the obscenity of the American television programmes, which are broadcasted without being dubbed or subtitled, meaning that in Italy it is not the Italians that run the show,” Pagano concluded.
Rome, Tuesday, June 07, 2011