TeleJato closes, goodbye to the historic Sicilian broadcaster fighting the mafia

“The mafia did not succeed with its attacks, pieces of the court of Palermo did not succeed, but the state succeeds.” TeleJatoSicilian broadcaster that in over thirty years of life has told news, investigations and threats of organized crime on the territory between Partinico and Corleone, it goes out. This was announced by Pino Maniaci, historical director: TeleJato has not been admitted to the ranking of the new digital terrestrial. Ten years ago, with the arrival of digital terrestrial, the risk had been taken, but the broadcaster managed to stay afloat by joining a consortium. This time, however, the closure was inevitable.

In order to continue we had to pay a tax of 40 thousand euros per yearwe would never have been able to sustain such an expense with three minutes of advertising on the news », explains the director al Corriere del Mezzogiorno. The issuer was founded in 1989 by Alberto Lo Iacono, and was linked to the Communist Refoundation. Pino Maniaci, a building contractor, took over the station in 1999 in “imminent financial collapse”, and made it a television channel that became a point of reference.

“When we took over Telejato we had nothing: we started in a room of a few square meters, with a slightly shabby computer and with a dream: to break the ass of the mafia and the powers that be. It was 1999 and a lot has happened since then, ”explained Maniaci. “We defended this broadcaster tooth and nail, first from the mafia and then from a piece of the Palermo judiciary. Today yet another battle, and this time the mafia has nothing to do with it ».

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“Today we try to survive with the Web page and with the Web TV and with the hope of a new contract”. At the moment TeleJato is streamed on the Telejato.it website on social channels and, on Tvm, it has obtained some windows for the news programs that go on air at 2 pm to 3 pm, from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm and from midnight to 1 am.

In a moving video posted on YouTube, the founder of TeleJato explains: “Our frequencies were sold at 5g. In Sicily Rai won the contract, in other regions Mediaset ». He had the task of disconnecting everything, and from that moment the signal of his station is off. «We still find it hard to believe it but unfortunately this is the reality of the facts. A heartfelt thanks goes to all the people who have collaborated with us in recent years, to those who have remained, to those who come back every now and then, to those who are no longer there, to those who will continue to be there “.

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Maniacs, however, don’t want to think it’s all over. He, who has fought many battles (has taken more than 380 complaints), is ready to leave. «We cannot think that it will be a ministerial decree to put the gag on us. We looked for alternatives, strengthening the web and starting the streaming of our channel on telejato.it. However, we understand that a large part of our audience is also made up of people less used to technologyand who would like to continue to follow us on TV. It is also for them that we want to continue to transmit“. For this a fundraising on GoFundMe. «Help us to overcome this umpteenth obstacle, if we can define it that way. Every little contribution is invaluable. Don’t leave us alone ».

Source: Vanity Fair

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