Real-time summary:
This morning at 9:15 there was the inauguration of the study workshop / seminar organized by Infocivica and held at the Arturo Toscanini Auditorium of the RAI in Turin, on the occasion of the 62nd edition of the Prix Italia. In cooperation with the European Commission Representation in Italy and the Ugo Bordoni Foundation. Infocivica opened the roundtable entitled: SOCIAL CHANGE, PUBLIC SERVICE DEMAND AND MISSION IN THE SOCIETY OF INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE.
 Giovanna Milella, Secretary General of Prix Italia, opened the meeting by reminding those present that this is more than just a meeting, but that it is a further step on a special journey that began a year ago. Referring to the 150-year anniversary of the Unification of Italy, he stressed the complexity and importance of new pathways for growth and development and pointed out that it is essential for Italy to create strong links with Europe, especially in this time of globalization and rapid change, with all its strong economic and technological implications. It is now important for Italy to move ahead from her historical political unification towards real and concrete unity with Europe. Communication, as well as the search for a genuine mission for the Italian public service must be central to this process.
The next speaker was Giampiero Gramaglia, Communication Advisor for the Istituto Affari Internazionali (International Affairs Institute) of Rome, who was the chairman and moderator presiding over the meeting, and he then gave the floor to Marco Simeon, the RAI Director for Institutional and International Relations.
The world of television and the public service has changed - said Marco Simeon - and the requirements of the sector have changed. Chasing the needs of the market has perhaps led us to lose sight of the contents that the public service should provide. Also the transition to new technologies is a revolution, which is only the beginning of a journey that must be pursued with a commitment that RAI certainly does not intend to avoid or shirk.
Gerardo Mombelli, the president of Infocivica was next to take the floor. He stressed that the Infocivica association is fully aware of the difference between a discussion seminar and an ambitious project with long-term aims such as our own. This is not just a quantitative difference: funding is necessary in order to ensure success, but we also need a more precise definition of our objectives, targets and deadlines. 
Robert Castrucci then intervened on behalf of Enrico Manca, the President of the Ugo Bordoni Foundation, a telecommunications research institute. He assured us of the interest both of the Bordoni Foundation, but also the personal interest of Enrico Manca, who has always shown how much he cares about the fate of the Italian television system and in particular that of the public service. The convergence of technologies is now having an effect on television viewers who are beginning to see television and other audiovisual media very differently. Traditional television is no longer dominant and there is a risk of audiovisual media not matching the public’s needs and demands. It is not just a case of simply adding Internet to the offer; instead it is necessary to be up to the task of generating hybrid systems, otherwise television risks being bypassed and becoming obsolete. It is therefore essential to come to terms with the technological revolution and to tackle the governance of the public service.
Continuation of the real-time summary
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