Italian public service broadcaster RAI may add its licence fee to electricity bills if the government agrees to a proposal by a Forza Italia member on the RAI board, Angelo Maria Petroni. At present, RAI loses 600 million a year because an estimated 27 per cent of Italian families (36 per cent in the south of the country) manage to avoid paying the licence fee. If it were possible to recuperate the missing 600 million, the RAIs financial problems would be solved, as the sum would be far more than the annual deficit of several tens of millions. Italy has the highest license evasion figure in Europe, despite having the lowest licence fee. The Italian charge is 99.60, as against 116 for France, 195 for the UK, or the German figure of 204.

Under Petronis proposal, the assumption will be that all families with electricity will have a television, and the licence fee will be added in instalments to the bimonthly electricity bills over the whole year.