Rai 1

Rai 1 is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. It is the company's flagship television channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream and generalist programming, usually aimed towards families, including TG1 news bulletins, prime time drama, cinema and entertainment, and major breaking news, sports and special events.

It was launched on 3 January 1954 as the first regular television service in Italy. It was the only one until 4 November 1961, when RAI launched a second channel. The channel was initially referred to as "Programma Nazionale". It received other names, such as "Rete 1" and "Raiuno" until it adopted its current name "Rai 1". It has the highest viewership in Italy, and regularly competes with Mediaset's Canale 5.

In the United Kingdom, it is available in free to air satellite broadcast from Hot Bird 13B.

Early history
"La Rai − Radiotelevisione Italiana inizia oggi il suo regolare servizio di trasmissioni televisive. Rai – Italian Radiotelevision starts its regular television broadcasting service today."

The first set of programming for Rai 1 was almost completely educational with no advertising, except for the popular Carosello. Early shows were meant to teach a common language to a country torn apart by World War II. Shows like Non è mai troppo tardi... were simply shot in a classroom setting and meant to help with reconstruction. While televisions were not widely available nor affordable, those who could spend the money on them became community leaders and often invited the neighborhood to visit. Bars and cafés turned from places where men would meet to argue or play cards into miniature cinemas where arguments over what show to watch would break out. Women and children were also more accepted inside the bars due to the lack of men post-war and their need to enter working society. Churches also bought televisions are a means of drawing people to spend time as part of those communities.

High-definition feed
The channel launched an HDTV 1080i simulcast in September 2013, available nationwide on subscription-television providers and on DTT (channel 1). Previously, HD programs used to be aired on Rai HD.

Broadcast in outside Italy
In Slovenia, France, Greece, Austria, Lebanon, Hungary, Switzerland, Croatia, San Marino and Vatican City (except Monaco) The channel is also available to watch in satellite via Hellas Sat 4.

Directors of Rai 1
From June 2022, as part of a management reorganization of Rai, network managements have been abolished in favour of gender ones.

News and Information

 * TG1, the main news service, directed by Monica Maggioni
 * TV7 (television program), weekly late-night news programme
 * Rai Meteo, weather bulletin
 * Speciale TG1, enquiring programme
 * Porta a Porta, late-night talk show
 * Unomattina
 * Unomattina Estate

Events

 * Con il cuore (2003, since 2007)
 * David di Donatello (1963-1967, 1969, 1971-1972, 1976-1977, 1979, 1984, 1986, 1988-1995, 1997-2000, 2002, 2004-2005, 2009-2015, since 2018)
 * Diversity Media Awards (since 2022, first on Real Time (TV channel)
 * Eurovision Song Contest (1956-1965, 1971-1973, 1975-1977, 1979, 1983, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1997, dal 2016)
 * Festival di Castrocaro
 * Junior Eurovision Song Contest (since 2022, first on Rai Gulp}
 * L'anno che verrà (since 2003)
 * La partita del cuore (1992-2020, from 2024)
 * Notte della Taranta (since 2021, first on Rai 2 and Rai 5)
 * Premio Bellisario (since 2019, first on Rai 2)
 * Premio Tenco (since 2023, first on Rai 2 and Rai 3)
 * Prix Italia (since 2019, first on Rai 3)
 * Oscars - La notte in diretta (from 2024, first on Canale 5 e Sky Uno)
 * Sanremo Giovani (1993-1998, 2001, since 2015)
 * Sanremo Music Festival (since 1995)
 * Telethon (since 1990, first on Rai 2 and Rai 3)
 * TIM Music Awards (since 2012, first on Italia 1)
 * Tutti a scuola (since 2000)
 * Una. Nessuna. Centomila – in Arena (2024)
 * Una voce per Padre Pio (since 2000)
 * Zecchino d'Oro (since 1959)

Shows in prime time

 * Ballando con le stelle (since 2005)
 * I migliori anni (2008-2013, 2016-2017, dal 2023)
 * Tale e quale show (dal 2012)
 * Tale e quale show - Il torneo (from 2012)
 * Natale e quale show (2016, from 2022)
 * Tali e quali (2019, from 2022)
 * The Voice Senior (from 2020)
 * Tale e quale Sanremo (from 2023)
 * The Voice Kids (from 2023)
 * The Voice Generations (from 2024)
 * L'acchiappatalenti (from 2024)
 * TIM Summer Hits (from 2024, first on Rai 2)

Game Shows

 * L'eredità (since 2002)
 * Affari tuoi (2003-2017, from 2023)
 * Reazione a catena - L'intesa vincente (since 2007)

Day Time Entertainment

 * Domenica in (since 1976)
 * Sottovoce (since 1994)
 * Applausi (television program) (since 2004)
 * Cinematografo (television program) (since 2004)
 * Testimoni e protagonisti (dal 2010)
 * Unomattina in famiglia (since 2010, prima su Rai 2)
 * Ballando on the Road (since 2017)
 * Da noi... a ruota libera (since 2019)
 * È sempre mezzogiorno (since 2020)
 * Ciao maschio (television program) (since 2021)
 * Camper (television program) (since 2022)
 * Unomattina Weekly (dal 2022)
 * La volta buona (from 2023)
 * I vinili di... (from 2024, first on Sky Uno and Rai 3)

Entertainment

 * Il cantante mascherato
 * Arena Suzuki

Documentaries and Culture

 * SuperQuark, hosted by Piero Angela
 * Quark Atlante, SuperQuark Saturday afternoon spin-off, focusing on wilderness and adventure
 * Lineablu, focusing on the Mediterranean Sea and shores, hosted by Donatella Bianchi
 * Linea Verde, focusing on wilderness, agriculture and rural cooking, hosted by Patrizio Roversi and Daniela Ferolla
 * Overland World Truck Expedition, adventure and documentary expeditions
 * Passaggio a Nord-Ovest, focusing on history and archaeology
 * Cinematografo, focusing on cinema
 * Rewind – Visioni private, focusing on TV history
 * Magazzini Einstein, focusing on arts and culture

TV Series

 * Il Commissario Montalbano, with Luca Zingaretti, produced in HD since Season 9
 * Il giovane Montalbano (prequel of "Il Commissario Montalbano"), with Michele Riondino and Alessio Vassallo, produced in HD
 * Don Matteo, with Terence Hill, Nino Frassica and Natalie Guetta, produced in HD since Season 7
 * Un passo dal cielo, with Terence Hill, produced in HD
 * Fuoriclasse, with Luciana Littizzetto, produced in HD
 * Che Dio ci aiuti, with Elena Sofia Ricci, produced in HD
 * Der letzte Bulle, with Henning Baum and Maximilian Grill, produced in HD
 * Provaci ancora prof, with Veronica Pivetti and Enzo Decaro, produced in HD since Season 5
 * Questo nostro amore, historical drama with Anna Valle and Neri Marcorè, produced in HD
 * Um Himmels Willen, with Fritz Wepper, produced in HD since Season 8
 * Un medico in famiglia, with Lino Banfi, Giulio Scarpati and Margot Sikabonyi, produced in HD since Season 6
 * Una pallottola nel cuore, with Gigi Proietti, produced in HD

Sports

 * FIFA World Cup Finals (if Italy team involved only, 1954–2014)
 * UEFA Europa League
 * UEFA Europa Conference League
 * UEFA European Championship
 * UEFA European Under-21 Championship (5 matches: three Italy group matches, one semi-final, and one final)
 * UEFA Nations League (Italy matches only, plus a final)
 * Italy national football team: Nations League, qualifiers, friendlies, and finals tournament

Kids

 * 44 Cats
 * Jurassic Cubs
 * Prezzemolo
 * Tommy e Oscar
 * Topo Gigio
 * Piccolo Pollone
 * Chappy

Early programmes
Until the autumn 1976/77 season, regular broadcasting was in monochrome (black and white), with very few exceptions (shown in bold). Regular color broadcasting began during the winter 1976/77 season.


 * Un due tre... aka 1, 2, 3, satire/variety show starring Raimondo Vianello e Ugo Tognazzi. Considered one of the most influential shows in Italian television history, it was discontinued in 1959 after the duo performed an ironic sketch about then-president of the Republic, Giovanni Gronchi (six seasons, from 19 January 1954 to 2 August 1959).
 * Lascia o raddoppia, a one-hour-long game show hosted by Mike Bongiorno (1955–59, on Thursday, at 9:00 PM, except for the first season shown on Saturday night).
 * Primo applauso, early talent show hosted by Enzo Tortora and Silvana Pampanini. The clap-o-metre was introduced to Italian television during this programme. Magician Silvan and singer Adriano Celentano debuted in Primo Applauso (from 29 April 1956 until December of the same year, Sunday night, 9:00 PM).
 * Telematch, variety/game show hosted by Enzo Tortora and Silvio Noto (from 6 January 1957 to July 1958, Sunday night at 9:15 PM).
 * La macchina per vivere, health care/educational programme about the human body (two seasons, from 31 January 1957, Thursday night at 10:45 PM).
 * Il Musichiere, one-hour-long Italian version of Name That Tune, hosted by Mario Riva until his death (1957–60, on Saturday nights at 9:00 PM).
 * Campanile Sera, one-hour-long game show, hosted by Enzo Tortora, Mike Bongiorno and Enza Sampò (1959–61, on Thursday at 9:00 PM). One of the various games on the show, "il gioco dei prezzi", was an early Italian incarnation of The Price Is Right franchise.
 * Studio Uno, Saturday night variety show, hosted mainly by Mina (1961–66, 9:00 PM).
 * L'amico del giaguaro, Saturday night comedy/variety show, hosted by Corrado and starring Gino Bramieri, Marisa Del Frate and Raffaele Pisu. Broadcast during 1961, 1962 and 1964 summer seasons, at 9:00 PM.
 * Giocagiò, daytime half-hour-long Italian version of the BBC children's show Play School (1966–70, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, at 5:00 PM)
 * L'Odissea, eight one hour episodes of a screenplay of Homer's Odyssey, directed by Franco Rossi and starring Bekim Fehmiu as Odysseus and Irene Papas as Penelope. This Italian-German-French-Yugoslavian co-production was broadcast for the first time in Italy from 24 March 1968, on Sunday night, at 9:05 PM. In colour, but the programme was shown in black and white in Italy the first time it was aired.
 * Eneide, seven one hour episodes of a screenplay of Virgil's Aeneid, directed by Franco Rossi and starring Giulio Brogi (Aeneas) and Olga Karlatos (Dido). This Italian-German-French co-production was broadcast for the first time in Italy from 19 December 1971, on Sundays, at 9:00 PM and in Germany from 5 November 1972. In colour.
 * Le avventure di Pinocchio, five one hour episodes of a screenplay of Collodi's children novel The Adventures of Pinocchio, directed by Luigi Comencini and starring Nino Manfredi (Geppetto), Gina Lollobrigida (the Fairy with Turquoise Hair), Franco Franchi (the Cat), Ciccio Ingrassia (the Fox), Vittorio De Sica (the Judge) and child actor Andrea Balestri in the main role of Pinocchio. This very successful French-German-Italian coproduction aired for the first time in Italy on Saturday night from 8 April 1972, at 9:00 PM. The French version is about 40 minutes longer and is divided into 6 episodes. In colour.
 * Fatti e fattacci, variety show, hosted by Gigi Proietti and Ornella Vanoni, directed by Antonello Falqui (four episodes, from 15 February 1975, Saturday night at 8:40 PM). In colour.
 * Dov'è Anna, drama/giallo miniseries in seven episodes, starring Scilla Gabel and Mariano Rigillo, broadcast on Tuesday, from 13 January 1976, at 8:45 PM.
 * Albert e l'Uomo Nero (the title, roughly translated, means Albert and the Bogeyman), drama/giallo miniseries in three episodes, starring Nando Gazzolo, Franco Graziosi and then kid Claudio Cinquepalmi in the title role of Albert. Avant-garde soundtrack by Franco Micalizzi. It was perhaps the last successful Italian black and white drama series, aired on 21 March (Sunday), 23 March (Tuesday) and 28 March (Sunday) nights at 8:45 PM.
 * Bontà loro, one-hour-long late night talk show hosted by Maurizio Costanzo, is considered by some critics to be the first modern talk show on Italian television (two seasons, from 18 October 1976, Monday night, 10:45 PM). In colour from 1977.
 * Non Stop, one-hour-long comedy consisting of a collage of sketches performed by young and (then) unknown comedians – among these, future theatrical actor and director Carlo Verdone and actors Massimo Troisi and Lello Arena. Broadcast for two seasons (1977-8 and 1978-9), on Thursday night, at 8:40 PM.