Rai 4 (pronounced ''Rai Quattro'') is an Italian
free-to-air
Free-to-air (FTA) services are television (TV) and radio services broadcast in unencrypted form, allowing any person with the FTA Receiver, appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring ...
television channel owned and operated by state-owned
public broadcaster
Public broadcasting involves radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing ...
RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. Launched on 14 July 2008 with the film ''
Elephant
Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae an ...
'', Rai 4 targets youths with films, TV series and
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
.
History
Rai 4 was launched, after a countdown, on 14 July 2008 at 21:00
CEST CEST or cest may refer to:
* Central European Summer Time (UTC+2), daylight saving time observed in the central European time zone
* Cognitive-Experiential Self-Theory
* Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer, a subset of Magnetization transfer in ...
with the broadcast of the film
Elephant
Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae an ...
. In the starting phase, it mainly had cult TV series, films, in addition to the "home runs" of
L'Isola dei Famosi and
X Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
(both programs on
Rai 2
Rai 2 is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. It is the company's second television channel, and is known for broadcasting ''TG2'' news bulletins, talk ...
).
The management was entrusted to Carlo Freccero from the launch date until 4 August 2013, followed by the interim of Luigi Gubitosi until mid-October.
The management was originally the responsibility of
RaiSat
RaiSat was a subsidiary of RAI created in 1997 to produce thematic TV channels for satellite television that are now available in IPTV and digital terrestrial television with various providers.
History
Rai Sat was created as external company ...
, which also took care of packaging channels exclusively for Sky Italia. RaiSat was supposed to manage the channel for three years, but due to the decision to close the company on 27 April 2010, the management of Rai 4 passed directly to Rai.
Since 2012, Rai 4 has offered some short news bulletins made by the editorial staff of
Rai News24
Rai News 24 is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. It is the company's all-news television channel, and is known for its 24-hour rolling news servic ...
.
Since June 2012, a second audio channel has been active on which the original audio of many of the films and series broadcast by the channel is available.
From 17 October 2013, the Rai board of directors decided to merge the channel under the management of Rai Gold.
Since 2014 it has broadcast both semifinals of the
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...
.
From 13 September 2015 Rai 4 becomes visible on the
Sky Italia
Sky Italia S.r.l. is an Italian satellite television platform owned by the American media conglomerate Comcast. Sky Italia also broadcasts three national free-to-air television channels: TV8, Cielo and Sky TG24. As of 2018, following an agree ...
platform at position 104.
On 7 December 2015 Rai 4 launches a new afternoon slot dedicated to anime, in addition to the Thursday night space. After the experimentation with the anime company
Dynit
Dynit Srl is one of the main Italian manga and anime publishers. Its head office is in the Cadriano ''frazione'' in Granarolo dell'Emilia, Province of Bologna. . WIth
Sword Art Online
is a Japanese light novel series written by Reki Kawahara and illustrated by abec. The series takes place in the then-near future and focuses on protagonists Kirito (Sword Art Online), Kazuto "Kirito" Kirigaya and Asuna (Sword Art On ...
and
Steins;Gate already broadcast at night, this band is dedicated to the transmission of
Fairy Tail
''Fairy Tail'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiro Mashima. It was serialized in Kodansha's ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from August 2006 to July 2017, with the individual chapters collected and published into 63 '' ...
, the first anime to be purchased and voiced directly by the channel.
As announced by Rai itself during the IV meeting with
Tivùsat
tivùsat is a free-to-air/free-to-view digital satellite television platform, launched by the joint venture between RAI, Mediaset and Telecom Italia Media, and serving Italy, Vatican City and San Marino. With the exception of international new ...
, Rai 4 started broadcasting in high definition from 22 January 2016 on channels 110 and on
Sky Italia
Sky Italia S.r.l. is an Italian satellite television platform owned by the American media conglomerate Comcast. Sky Italia also broadcasts three national free-to-air television channels: TV8, Cielo and Sky TG24. As of 2018, following an agree ...
channel 104.
From 18 February 2016 the channel, together with the others belonging to the Rai Gold structure, has been entrusted to Angelo Teodoli, former director of Rai 2.
The same year the sport debuts: it broadcasts the opening concert of Euro 2016 commented by Filippo Solibello and Marco Ardemagni (former ESC commentators) and the 27 games of which Rai has the rights with the commentary of Gialappa's band under the title Rai dire Europeans. Given the success of this experiment, the trio will comment on Italy's friendlies and qualifying matches for the
2018 FIFA World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national Association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awa ...
under the title Rai dire Nazionale.
From 12 September 2016 Rai 4 changes the logo together with Rai 1, Rai 2, and Rai 3, and color, passing from magenta to purple.
From 19 September 2016, the high-definition version also lands on digital terrestrial, on the Mux 5.
The official speaker of the network is Massimo Lodolo.
From 8 to 14 July 2018, on the occasion of the channel's 10th anniversary, a special promo graphic will be introduced, a contest in which birthday wishes can be made, and a new slogan: Ten years into the future. Furthermore, the hashtag # Rai4diecianni appears under the logo.
On 13 September 2018, following the non-renewal of the contract, the channel leaves the Sky Italia platform.
Logos and identities
File:RAI4 2010 Logo.svg, Rai 4's second and previous logo used from 18 May 2010 to 11 September 2016.
File:Rai 4 - Logo 2016.svg, Rai 4's third and current logo since 12 September 2016.
Programming
A few programmes include:
* ''
Battlestar Galactica
''Battlestar Galactica'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The franchise began with the Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series), original television series in 1978, and was followed by a short-run sequel se ...
''
* ''
Being Erica
''Being Erica'' is a Canadian comedy-drama television series that aired on CBC from January 5, 2009, to December 12, 2011. Created by Jana Sinyor, the series was originally announced by the CBC as ''The Session'', but was later retitled ''Bei ...
''
* ''
Beverly Hills, 90210
''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to by its short title, ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling under his production company Spelling Television. The series ran fo ...
''
* ''
Blossom
In botany, blossoms are the flowers of stone fruit trees (genus ''Prunus'') and of some other plants with a similar appearance that flower profusely for a period of time in spring.
Colloquially, flowers of orange are referred to as such as wel ...
''
* ''
Breaking Bad
''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Bryan Cranston), an underpaid, overqualified, and dispirited hig ...
''
* ''
Charmed
''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcast ...
''
* ''
Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
''
* ''
Dream On''
* ''
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...
'' (Semi-Finals)
* ''
Heroes
Heroes or Héroes may refer to:
* Hero, one who displays courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good
Film
* ''Heroes'' (1977 film), an American drama
* ''Heroes'' (2008 film), an Indian Hindi film
Gaming
* ''Heroes of Might and Magic'' ...
''
* ''
Misfits
Misfits or The Misfits may refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Misfits'' (1961 film), a film starring Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, and Montgomery Clift
* ''The Misfits'' (2011 film), a Mexican film
* ''The Misfits'' (2021 film), an American ...
''
* ''
NUMB3RS
''Numbers'' (stylized as ''NUMB3RS'') is an American crime drama television series that was broadcast on CBS from January 23, 2005, to March 12, 2010, for six seasons and 118 episodes. The series was created by Nicolas Falacci and Cheryl Heuton ...
''
* ''
Once Upon a Time
"Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 (according to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'') in storytelling in the ...
''
* ''
Primeval
Primeval may refer to:
* Primeval forest, an area of forest that has attained great age
* Primeval number, a positive integer satisfying certain conditions
* Primeval history, name given by biblical scholars to the first eleven chapters of the Bo ...
''
* ''
Private Practice Private practice may refer to:
*Private sector practice
**Practice of law
In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiati ...
''
* ''
Spider Riders
is a series of science fiction novels first published in December 2004, published by Newmarket Press written by Tedd Anasti, Patsy Cameron-Anasti and Stephen D. Sullivan (books 2–3). The series was adapted into an anime series, produced by Be ...
''
* ''
Switched at Birth''
* ''
Two and a Half Men
''Two and a Half Men'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS for twelve seasons from September 22, 2003, to February 19, 2015. Originally starring Charlie Sheen in the lead role alongside Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones, the ...
''
* ''
The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air
''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz for NBC. It aired from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart t ...
''
* ''
Underbelly
Underbelly is the side of something that is not normally seen. Figuratively, it means a vulnerable or weak part, similar to the term Achilles' heel, or alternatively, a hidden, illicit side of society.
This term could refer to:
Business
* ...
''
Anime
From 24 September 2009 Rai 4 has added several Japanese anime to its programming, mostly on Rai 1. The main appointment was immediately the space of Thursday night, which usually proposed two episodes of different series. There were also transmission spaces in the morning at the weekend, in which other works found space: in the first months they were located both on Saturday and Sunday morning, but already from January 2010 they began to use only on Sundays. The morning slot was last used in the 2013/2014 season. Finally, in the summer, replicas of products already broadcast were mainly proposed.
Starting from 7 December 2015, in addition to the Thursday evening slot, an afternoon slot was introduced designed for the transmission of Fairy Tail, the first anime purchased and dubbed directly by the channel. For the first weeks, the network offered reruns of two souls broadcast on Thursday night (
Sword Art Online
is a Japanese light novel series written by Reki Kawahara and illustrated by abec. The series takes place in the then-near future and focuses on protagonists Kirito (Sword Art Online), Kazuto "Kirito" Kirigaya and Asuna (Sword Art On ...
and
Steins;Gate), with the aim of making the band known to the public, and then continue, from 11 January 2016, with the broadcasting of
Fairy Tail
''Fairy Tail'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiro Mashima. It was serialized in Kodansha's ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from August 2006 to July 2017, with the individual chapters collected and published into 63 '' ...
, with the double episode: to be precise, the first is the replica of the second episode of the previous day, while the second is the new episode. There are also almost always reruns of the latest episodes broadcast early in the morning and at night. However, from June 2016 Fairy Tail was moved to nighttime, and on 4 August 2016, the series was definitively suspended after the broadcast of episode 149. This maneuver, combined with the failure to confirm the time slot on Thursday evening, marked up to today the end of the programming of anime on the channel.
Below is the list of anime series broadcast by Rai 4 from 2009 to 2016: all of these were purchased, dubbed, and distributed by home video distribution companies, which granted a broadcast license to the channel.
* ''
Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day''
* ''
Aria
In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...
* ''
Attack of Titan''
* ''
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion''
* ''
Den-noh Coil''
* ''
Eureka Seven
''Eureka Seven'', known in Japan as , is a 2005 Japanese anime series created by Bones. The series was directed by Tomoki Kyoda, with series composition by Dai Satō, character designs by Kenichi Yoshida and music by Naoki Satō. ''E ...
''
* ''
Ergo Proxy
''Ergo Proxy'' is a Japanese cyberpunk anime television series, produced by Manglobe, directed by Shūkō Murase and written by Dai Satō. The series ran for 23 episodes from February to August 2006 on the Wowow satellite network. It is set i ...
''
* ''
Fairy Tail
''Fairy Tail'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiro Mashima. It was serialized in Kodansha's ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from August 2006 to July 2017, with the individual chapters collected and published into 63 '' ...
'' (The only anime to have been purchased and dubbed directly by the channel).
* ''
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
is a Japanese light novel series written by Nagaru Tanigawa and illustrated by Noizi Ito. It was first published in 2003 by Kadokawa Shoten in Japan with the novel ''The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya'', and has since been followed ...
''
* ''
Love Com
, also known as ''Lovely Complex'', is a romantic comedy shōjo manga by Aya Nakahara. It was published by Shueisha in ''Bessatsu Margaret'' from 2001 to 2006 and collected in 17 ''tankōbon'' volumes. The series is about the romance betwee ...
''
* ''
Puella Magi Madoka Magica''
* ''
Penguindrum
''Penguindrum'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese anime series produced by Brain's Base. The series is written by Kunihiko Ikuhara and Takayo Ikami, was co-directed by Ikuhara along with Shouko Nakamura, and was broadcast in Japan from July ...
''
* ''
Nana
Nana, Nanna, Na Na or NANA may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Nana (given name), including a list of people and characters with the given name
* Nana (surname), including a list of people and characters with the surname
* Nana ( ...
''
* ''
Noein: To Your Other Self''
* ''
Planetes
''Planētes'', "Wanderers", lead=yes is a Japanese hard science fiction manga written and illustrated by Makoto Yukimura. It was serialized in Kodansha's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Morning'' between January 1999 to January 2004, with its ...
''
* ''
Psycho-Pass
''Psycho-Pass'' (stylized as ''PSYCHO-PASS'') is a Japanese cyberpunk psychological thriller anime television series produced by Production I.G. It was co-directed by Naoyoshi Shiotani and Katsuyuki Motohiro and written by Gen Urobuchi, ...
''
* ''
Romeo × Juliet
is an anime television series, loosely based on William Shakespeare's classical play, ''Romeo and Juliet'', along with numerous references and characters from other Shakespearean plays. Though the anime borrows mostly from Shakespeare's story ...
''
* ''
Gurren Lagann
''Gurren Lagann'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese mecha anime, mecha anime television series animated by Gainax and co-produced by Aniplex and Konami. It ran for 27 episodes on TV Tokyo between April and September 2007. It was directe ...
''
* ''
Soul Eater''
* ''
Special A
''S.A'' (stylized as ''S・A''; pronounced ''Special A'') is a shōjo manga by Maki Minami. The series started serialization in the bimonthly magazine ''The Hana to Yume'' in 2003, and moved to the biweekly magazine ''Hana to Yume'' in 2004, a ...
''
* ''
Steins;Gate''
* ''
Sword Art Online
is a Japanese light novel series written by Reki Kawahara and illustrated by abec. The series takes place in the then-near future and focuses on protagonists Kirito (Sword Art Online), Kazuto "Kirito" Kirigaya and Asuna (Sword Art On ...
''
* ''
Toradora!
is a Japanese light novel series by Yuyuko Takemiya, with illustrations by Yasu. The series includes ten novels released between March 10, 2006 and March 10, 2009, published by ASCII Media Works under their Dengeki Bunko imprint. Three ...
''
* ''
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0''
* ''
Welcome to the N.H.K.
is a Japanese novel written by Tatsuhiko Takimoto. It was published by Kadokawa Shoten in Japan in January 2002, and in English by Tokyopop in October 2007. The story revolves around a 22-year-old ''hikikomori'', an asocial recluse, who gets ...
''
References
External links
Official website
{{Italian television stations
Italian-language television stations
Television channels and stations established in 2008
4
Movie channels
Classic television networks