Abstract

Quality television in Italy can be considered as one of the most discussed themes in formal and informal situations, gaining in the last decade the place of a common topic and running the risk of becoming just a reason of complaining, rather than a serious matter concerning democracy. The approach to the question is very heterogeneous and contradictory. On one hand, quality seems to be a priority both for public and private networks. On the other, as in many other countries worldwide, children and adolescents are now one of the greatest commercial targets, since they have become powerful consumers. The question seems to be much more commercial rather than social or education oriented. This communication intends to gather some of the aspects related to quality television, starting from a short description of the Italian context and the policies to promote the concept of quality, concluding with the analysis of two different Italian programs that can be quoted as «quality television».