Tele Liguria Sud

Tele Liguria Sud (TLS) is an Italian local television broadcaster headquartered in La Spezia, Liguria. It was founded in October 1977 by Don Armando Dino Viviani, a priest of La Spezia, shortly after the 1976 Constitutional Court ruling that liberalized local over-the-air broadcasting in Italy. The station was conceived as a lay, non-commercial television with a Catholic inspiration, not a confessional channel limited to religious programming. Its main purpose was communication rather than selling advertising space, and all collaborators were volunteers. The commercial side was managed by Tele Liguria Sud Studio P, a sole proprietorship of Don Viviani, which provided equipment free of charge to the Associazione Culturale Tele Liguria Sud, the cultural association that produced the broadcasts. TLS began experimental transmissions on 1 September 1977 and regular broadcasts on 1 October 1977 with the TLS Giornale, a daily newscast that has been transmitted continuously ever since. The station was initially nicknamed "the priests' TV" but maintained a lay editorial line open to collaborators of different political and religious backgrounds. After a few years, Bishop Siro Silvestri transformed it into the diocesan Catholic broadcaster for La Spezia, Sarzana and Brugnato. Over time, TLS Giornale became the most-watched local newscast in the province, known for reporting same-day news while other stations often reported news from the previous day's newspapers. In 1990, the year of the Mammì Law, TLS became owned by a consortium formed by the Diocese and other religious entities. That same year it moved from the small apartment in the parish rectory to a new headquarters on Via Roma 138 in La Spezia, occupying a floor of the Salesian Institute complex. Also in 1990, TLS was among the Catholic TV stations that began meeting within Co.ra.l.lo (a consortium of free local radios of Christian inspiration), forming the nucleus of what would become one of the most important associative realities in local broadcasting. Later, to comply with new laws, a cooperative replaced the consortium and currently manages Tele Liguria Sud. In 2001, TLS moved again to a larger, purpose-built headquarters next to the Cathedral of La Spezia, facing the city's main square. In 2002, given the growing complexity of programming and tasks, the station hired two employees, while continuing to rely on many volunteers. In July 2005, TLS began experimental digital terrestrial broadcasting, and it remains the only local station still active among those founded in the 1970s in its area. Today, TLS broadcasts on digital terrestrial television throughout Liguria and is automatically stored on channel numbers 15 and 615 on remote controls. Every day except holidays, it airs the TLS Giornale live at 19:30, a local newscast for the province of La Spezia. The station also offers a live stream via its website and app, and maintains a presence on social media including Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.

Tele Liguria Sud was founded in October 1977, shortly after the 1976 Constitutional Court ruling that liberalized local over-the-air broadcasting in Italy. The idea came from Don Armando Dino Viviani, a priest of La Spezia who believed deeply in television as a means of social communication. He wanted to build a lay station with a Catholic imprint, but not a confessional TV that only broadcast religious programs. TLS was created as a non-commercial TV: its main purpose was not selling advertising space but communication. The commercial part, which still had to exist, was managed by Tele Liguria Sud Studio P, a sole proprietorship of Don Viviani, who gave the equipment free of charge to the Associazione Culturale Tele Liguria Sud, the cultural association that produced the broadcasts. A fundamental choice was that all collaborators were volunteers working for free. The studio was set up in an apartment of the rectory in his parish, S. Maria; coincidentally, the street address already denoted its imprint: Via della Canonica. The transmission equipment was ready in May 1977, and the station was registered at the Tribunal as a daily journalistic publication. Experimental transmissions began on 1 September 1977, and regular broadcasts started on 1 October 1977 with the TLS Giornale, a daily newscast transmitted continuously ever since. The lay choice of Tele Liguria Sud, despite being nicknamed "the priests' TV," made it open to collaboration with people from different political experiences and religious convictions, as long as they respected the station's general line. After a few years, Bishop Siro Silvestri transformed it into the diocesan Catholic broadcaster for La Spezia, Sarzana and Brugnato. Over time, the image of an independent television was consolidated, and TLS Giornale became the most-watched newscast in the province, gaining its own authority. For example, while TLS Giornale gave the day's news, other stations gave news taken from the newspaper, thus from the previous day. In 1990, the year of the Mammì Law, TLS became owned by a consortium formed by the Diocese and other religious entities. In the same year, it moved to a new headquarters because the apartment where it was born had become too small for the changed needs of the TV. The new headquarters, at Via Roma 138 in La Spezia, occupied a floor of the Salesian Institute complex, thanks to an agreement with the Salesians of La Spezia. Also in 1990, Tele Liguria Sud was among the Catholic TV stations that began meeting and constituted within Co.ra.l.lo (consorzio radio libere locali, of Christian inspiration) the nucleus of what would later become one of the most important associative realities of local broadcasting. Later, to comply with new laws, a cooperative replaced the consortium, and that cooperative currently manages Tele Liguria Sud. In 2001, TLS moved again to a larger and more functional headquarters, built specifically to host the television station. It is a small building next to the Cathedral of La Spezia and faces the city's main square, where, besides the modern Cathedral, there are also the buildings of the Municipality, the Province, the Prefecture and the financial offices, a true medieval square. Since 2002, given the growing complexity of programming and the station's tasks, it was decided to hire two employees, but the collaboration of many volunteers continued, always in the spirit that animated the TV from its birth. The only local station still active among those founded in the 1970s, in July 2005 Tele Liguria Sud also began experimental digital terrestrial broadcasting. Today, TLS broadcasts on digital terrestrial throughout Liguria and is automatically stored on channel numbers 15 and 615 on remote controls. Every day except holidays, it airs the TLS Giornale live at 19:30, a local newscast for the province of La Spezia. The station also offers a live stream via its website and app, and maintains a presence on social media including Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.

• 2005

  Begins experimental digital terrestrial broadcasting in July.

• 2002

  Hires two employees while continuing to rely on volunteers.

• 2001

  Moves to a new purpose-built headquarters next to the Cathedral of La Spezia.

• 1990

  Becomes owned by a consortium of the Diocese and other religious entities; moves to Via Roma 138; joins Co.ra.l.lo.

• 1977

  Founded in October by Don Armando Dino Viviani; experimental transmissions begin on 1 September; regular broadcasts start on 1 October with TLS Giornale.

Independent, volunteer-based, Catholic-inspired local television for La Spezia province and Liguria, emphasizing community news and social communication over commercial advertising.

• TLS Giornale

  Daily local newscast broadcast live at 19:30 (except holidays) for the province of La Spezia.

• News programs

  Categories include Diocesan News, Crime, Sports, Culture and Entertainment.

• Live streaming

  Live broadcast available via website and mobile app.

1. 1TLS - Tele Liguria Sud | Emittente Televisiva DVB-Tteleliguriasud.it
2. 2Chi Siamo | TLS - Tele Liguria Sudteleliguriasud.it
3. 3Tele Liguria Sud - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Tele Liguria Sud - Wikipediait.wikipedia.org