The board of State broadcaster
RAI on Friday voted to nominate Marcello Foa its new president,
sources said.
The board also nominated Foa, the government's pick to lead
the network, in July, but parliament's oversight body of the
State broadcaster failed to ratify the appointment.
This time, however, Foa is expected to get a majority vote as
ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right Forza Italia party
is tipped to drop its opposition.
Deputy Premier and 5-Star Movement leader Luigi Di Maio said
Foa was "an independent journalist" and said he hoped the
oversight body would approve him this time around.
He said the whole process had been "in the light of day",
denying secret deals.
Berlusconi reportedly agreed to Foa at a meeting with ruling
League leader Matteo Salvini where he reportedly received
assurances on his Mediaset media empire, RAI's rival.
Foa is a controversial figure due to previous Euroskeptic,
pro-Putin, anti-vaccine, anti-gay and anti-immigrant stances and
his sharing of fake news including Hillary Clinton's supposed
Satanic dinners.
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