Rete 55

Rete 55 is an Italian regional television station headquartered in Varese, Lombardy. It was launched in 1979 as TeleEuropa1 by a group of four friends from Varese with prior experience in a free radio station. Initially broadcasting only to the city of Varese and its hinterland on UHF channel 55, the station gradually expanded its coverage, first in analogue and later on digital terrestrial, to reach the whole of Lombardy. Due to natural signal overspill, it is also receivable in border areas of neighbouring Italian regions (eastern Piedmont, Veneto, western Trentino-Alto Adige, northern Emilia-Romagna) and in southern Switzerland (Ticino and Grigioni). The station changed its name several times: from TeleEuropa1 to TeleEuropa and back, then to Rete Varese 1 and finally to Rete 55 around 1983. In the early 1980s, under the control of the Squizzato family, it began producing its own programmes, including current affairs shows, sports programmes, and variety shows. A large part of its schedule was dedicated to teleshopping, particularly cartomancy programmes. Over the years, the station added local football coverage, comedy shows, and a talent show in collaboration with TV Sorrisi e Canzoni. In the mid-1980s, Umberto Bossi, leader of the Lega Lombarda, used Rete 55 for propaganda purposes. In the 1990s, Rete 55 shifted its focus towards local news, launching a news bulletin, in-depth programmes (especially on Varese province sports), and a teletext service called Televideo Varese. In 1997, it moved to a more modern facility in Gornate Olona and began cable distribution in Canton Ticino. The news department was led by Gianluigi Paragone and later by Matteo Inzaghi (from 2004), under whom the schedule focused on information for the entire Insubria and Altomilanese areas. With the advent of digital terrestrial, the channel gained near-total coverage in Lombardy on UHF channel 42 (LCN 16) and launched thematic channels such as Rete 55 Sport. In 2014, the corporate structure was reorganised into Rete 55 Evolution, owned 99.9% by Rete 55 srl and 0.1% by WTV srl, Mauro Morello, and Lorenzo Airoldi. In 2015, Rete 55 Evolution opened subscriptions to a convertible bond loan; after a failed attempt with Fondazione Comunitaria del Varesotto, it obtained €450,000 from Fondazione Molina. In 2016, the station announced the purchase of a national frequency and possible sale to a Chinese company, but these plans were not realised. The loan from Fondazione Molina later led to the commissioner appointment of the foundation by ATS Insubria and a criminal investigation, though the outcome is not detailed in the source.

Rete 55 was founded in 1979 in Varese by a group of four friends who had previous experience in a free radio station. They set up a television station in a building on viale Belmonte, naming it TeleEuropa1. It began broadcasting on UHF channel 55 to the city of Varese and its hinterland. The initial schedule included TV series, films, and cartoons, and during breaks it repeated the signal of Telemontecarlo. After briefly changing its name to TeleEuropa (then reverting), the station consolidated and moved to UHF channel 37, allowing it to expand its coverage area. In the early 1980s, TeleEuropa1, now under the control of the Squizzato family, began producing its own programmes, such as the current affairs magazines Ciao città, Parliamone: problemi di casa nostra, Varese in sport, and the variety show Full play – Avanti c'è posto. A large part of the schedule was dedicated to teleshopping, with cartomancy programmes being particularly prominent. A newsroom was also established, led by Antonio Marano and Eraldo Benvenuti. Over the years, the schedule was enriched: the station began airing delayed broadcasts of Varese football matches and produced the comedy programme Sbarbatissima, a local take on national shows Risatissima and Premiatissima. In collaboration with the magazine TV Sorrisi e Canzoni, it also produced the talent show Touch down, aimed at discovering new singer-songwriters. Around 1983, the station changed its name twice, first to Rete Varese 1 and then to Rete 55, moving its operational base to via Bainsizza, still in Varese. In the mid-1980s, Umberto Bossi, leader of the young Lega Lombarda, used Rete 55 for propaganda purposes. Signal coverage was progressively extended to cover much of Lombardy and even the north-eastern area of Piedmont. Towards the 1990s, Rete 55 markedly shifted its target towards local information: it launched a news bulletin and various in-depth programmes (especially on sports in the province of Varese) and introduced the teletext service Televideo Varese. In 1997, the station moved to a more modern and spacious facility in Gornate Olona, and its audience grew significantly; cable distribution was also activated in Canton Ticino. Gianluigi Paragone became head of the news services, and in 2004 he was succeeded by Matteo Inzaghi. Under Inzaghi's direction, Rete 55 firmly positioned its schedule on information for the entire Insubria and Altomilanese areas, also dedicating space and programmes to social, cultural, and economic entities of the territory. The advent of digital terrestrial saw the channel acquire practically total coverage in Lombardy, on regional UHF channel 42 (LCN 16); the new technology also allowed the launch of additional thematic channels such as Rete 55 Sport, dedicated to sports in the Varese and Insubria areas. In 2014, the corporate structure was reorganised into the legal entity Rete 55 Evolution, constituted 99.9% by Rete 55 srl (the previous publisher) and 0.1% by WTV srl, Mauro Morello (former deputy mayor of Varese), and Lorenzo Airoldi (who is its sole director). During 2015, Rete 55 Evolution opened subscriptions to a convertible bond loan; after a failed attempt with Fondazione Comunitaria del Varesotto (a philanthropic entity linked to Fondazione Cariplo, involved in various ambiguous investments at the time), the company obtained €450,000 from Fondazione Molina, a non-profit active in the nursing home sector and participated by the Municipality of Varese. On 28 September 2016, the station announced the purchase of a national frequency, declaring its intention to launch a channel dedicated to the economy; at the same time, the possible sale of the controlling stake to a Chinese company within the framework of the so-called 'New Silk Road' was prospected. However, none of this was actually realised. Shortly afterwards, the Agenzia di Tutela della Salute (ATS) of Insubria ordered the commissioner appointment of Fondazione Molina, contesting (also in relation to the loan to Rete 55) 'multiple irregularities committed by the Foundation in its administrative management and in the awarding of services' and 'the adoption of financial investment initiatives, of no small entity, by the president, without communication and approval by the Board of Directors and the auditor'. The appeal by the president of Molina, initially upheld by the TAR, was later rejected by the Council of State, which upheld the correctness of ATS's objections. Ordinary justice also moved: the Public Prosecutor's Office of Varese opened a file for embezzlement and complicity in embezzlement, but the subsequent trial, also instructed on other similar operations, did not lead to further details in the source.

• 2015

  Convertible bond loan opened; €450,000 obtained from Fondazione Molina.

• 2014

  Corporate reorganisation into Rete 55 Evolution.

• 2004

  Matteo Inzaghi becomes news director.

• 1997

  Moved to new facility in Gornate Olona; cable distribution in Canton Ticino activated.

• 1983

  Renamed Rete Varese 1, then Rete 55; operational base moved to via Bainsizza, Varese.

• 1979

  Founded as TeleEuropa1 in Varese, broadcasting on UHF channel 55.

• Announced purchase of national frequency and possible sale to Chinese company; plans not realised.

Regional television focused on local news and information for Varese, Insubria, and Altomilanese.

• Telegiornale

  Local news bulletin launched in the 1990s.

• Rete 55 Sport

  Thematic channel dedicated to sports in the Varese and Insubria areas, launched with digital terrestrial.

• Televideo Varese

  Teletext service launched in the 1990s.

1. 1Rete 55 - Wikipedia (Italian)it.wikipedia.org
2. 2Rete 55 - Wikidatawikidata.org