Cinquestelle Sardegna
Cinquestelle Sardegna was a Sardinian regional television broadcaster, active from 1978 until its bankruptcy in 2018.
Last updated September 29, 2026
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Overview
Cinquestelle Sardegna was a regional television broadcaster based in Olbia, Sardinia, Italy. It began in 1978 as Teleregione Sarda, serving the Gallura area of the province of Sassari. In October 1985 it acquired most of the Canale 48 network, extending its coverage across northern Sardinia and changing its name to Teleregione. From 19 February 1988 it joined the national Cinquestelle syndication, and in 1989 it acquired frequencies from the Cagliari-based Odeon TV, adding coverage in the provinces of Cagliari and Oristano. In March 1994 it adopted the name of its syndication, becoming Cinquestelle Sardegna. After the first closure of the Cinquestelle network in 1999, the station rebranded and from 14 May 2000 took the definitive name 5 Stelle Sardegna. The transition to digital terrestrial television brought severe economic difficulties. In 2010 the station faced strong competition from TeleTirreno and struggled financially; employees were placed on temporary layoff schemes, and by late 2013 many were without income due to payment delays. Despite affiliation with Canale Italia, the situation worsened, leading to strikes in July 2014 and the dismissal of five journalists and technicians in late November. Programming was suspended again between 17 December 2014 and 6 January 2015 as a protest. In summer 2015 most staff were laid off and transmissions of both 5 Stelle Sardegna and Radio Internazionale were suspended. On 23 May 2018 the Tribunal of Tempio Pausania declared the broadcaster bankrupt, marking the definitive end of the Olbia network forty years after its founding. Some employees later returned to the air in autumn 2021 on the mother station Teleregione, renamed Teleregione Live.
History
The broadcaster was founded in Olbia in 1978 under the name Teleregione Sarda, with coverage limited to the eastern part of the province of Sassari (Gallura). In October 1985 it acquired almost the entire Canale 48 network, reaching coverage of all northern Sardinia, and changed its name to Teleregione. With the birth of the national Cinquestelle circuit, Teleregione joined it, broadcasting the syndication's programs from 19 February 1988. In 1989 the ownership took over frequencies that had belonged to the Cagliari-based broadcaster Odeon TV, thereby covering the then provinces of Cagliari and Oristano. Through further acquisitions and new frequency activations, Teleregione was joined by two other regional broadcasters: Univideo was born and the brand of the historic local TV Odeon TV was revived, with the intention of creating a television hub for northern Sardinia as a response to that of publisher Grauso (based in Cagliari). From 28 June 1991 (until spring 1997), Teleregione, like the other Italian regional broadcasters affiliated with the Cinquestelle circuit, joined the Arianna teletext service: pages from 600 onwards were managed by the syndication at national level (in collaboration with Area and Colby), rented to various advertisers, while the remaining pages—managed by the Olbia broadcaster—included public utility information, such as real-time departure and arrival times of Meridiana flights from Olbia - Costa Smeralda and Alghero - Fertilia airports. In March 1994, Teleregione took the name of the syndication it belonged to, becoming Cinquestelle Sardegna; its sister stations Univideo and Odeon TV took the names, respectively, of Teleregione and Univideo (leading to the disappearance of the Odeon TV brand, which was later reused until 1997 in an attempt not to lose the third network concession, as it itself ceased transmissions in August 1994). Starting in 1999, with the first closure of the Cinquestelle network, the broadcaster underwent a restyling in programming, logo and name, acquiring the definitive name, from 14 May 2000, of 5 Stelle Sardegna (a name it carried until closure). The transition to digital terrestrial television pushed the group, over the years, to cede the historic Teleregione broadcaster (at the end of January 2004) to Telecom Italia, to extend national coverage of both LA7 and the then first DVB-T multiplex TIMB, today TIMB2); it itself moved to the frequencies of the already shut down—but never decommissioned—Univideo, broadcasting the programs of the Odeon circuit until June 2006, when it was sold to La3 for a DVB-H multiplex. Meanwhile, having maintained the Olbia radio station Radio Internazionale (operating until 2018), the group saw Teleregione reborn in February 2009, under the direction of the well-known presenter Paul Dessanti. The crisis of the broadcaster: 2010 was the most difficult year for 5 Stelle Sardegna. The transition to digital terrestrial television, as well as strong competition from the fellow citizen TeleTirreno (a Tuscan broadcaster that arrived in Sardinia in 2003 by acquiring the frequencies of Canale 35, a broadcaster closed upon the death of its founder, which opened the Sardinian branch in 2006) with the consequent need to invest to produce a competitive schedule, caused severe economic difficulties: as a result, employees initially entered temporary layoff schemes, and several remained entirely without income at the end of 2013 due to delays in payments both by INPS and by the company owning the broadcaster. Despite affiliation with Canale Italia, the situation became increasingly unsustainable, leading staff to call 3 days of strike in July 2014, complaining about the disinterest of publisher Iervolino in developing a real plan to respond to the crisis and his scant participation in the management of the broadcaster, long abandoned to the unpaid commitment of workers. At the end of November, five journalists and technicians previously placed on zero-hour temporary layoff were definitively dismissed. Between 17 December 2014 and 6 January 2015, the broadcaster's programming was again suspended as a protest, and resumed after a partial union agreement to receive at least part of the arrears, while attempts were made to obtain a preventive concordat for the publishing company, without any result. Summer 2015 saw the dismissal of most of the staff and the suspension of transmissions of both 5 Stelle Sardegna and Radio Internazionale, as well as the disposal of the multiplex (which led to the second closure of the mother Teleregione). Only Canale Italia and the radio station remained on air, reactivated in September, awaiting the hearing for the preventive concordat set for October. At the end of August 2016, 5 Stelle was reactivated to broadcast Radio Internazionale, amid protests from employees still awaiting arrears. On 23 May 2018, the broadcaster was declared bankrupt by the Tribunal of Tempio Pausania, marking the definitive end of the Olbia network forty years after its founding. Some employees, however, returned to the air in autumn 2021, on the mother station Teleregione (renamed Teleregione Live due to the name change of the channel Gallura Live and managed by the Diocese of Tempio-Ampurias).
- 2021
Some employees returned to the air on Teleregione Live in autumn.
- 2018
Declared bankrupt by the Tribunal of Tempio Pausania on 23 May.
- 2016
Reactivated in late August to broadcast Radio Internazionale.
- 2015
Programming resumed on 6 January; summer saw mass layoffs and suspension of transmissions.
- 2014
Strikes in July; five journalists and technicians dismissed in late November; programming suspended from 17 December.
- 2013
Many employees without income due to payment delays.
- 2010
Most difficult year due to digital transition and competition; economic difficulties begin.
- 2009
Teleregione reborn in February under Paul Dessanti.
- 2006
Univideo frequencies sold to La3 in June for DVB-H multiplex.
- 2004
Historic Teleregione broadcaster sold to Telecom Italia in late January.
Products and positioning
Regional television broadcaster for Sardinia, affiliated with national syndication networks.
Regional television broadcasting
Teletext service (Arianna)
Sources2 sources
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