Earlier on Thursday, Rai’s board approved new CEO Roberto Sergio’s appointments for the network’s top news posts.
The departure of veteran journalist Annunziata, who had a show in which she grilled politicians, comes soon after that of another prominent left-leaning presenter, Fabio Fazio.
“I have come to make this decision because I do not agree with anything about the actions of the current government, not the content, nor the method,” Annunziata said in a letter to the Rai management.
“In particular, I don’t agree with the way of intervening in Rai.
“It is an act of seriousness on my part to acknowledge this.
“The necessary conditions to collaborate do not exist.”
Sergio’s appointments included making Gian Marco Chiocci the head of Tg1 news on the flagship Rai1 channel and Antonio Preziosi the head of Tg2 on Rai2.
This month Sergio replaced Carlo Fuortes, who last week cited pressure from the government.
Fazio said the failure of Rai to renew the contract for his historic chat show was a sign of the “boundless greed” of Italy’s right-wing government in an alleged purge, a claim the right indignantly denies.
In his weekly column for Oggi, Fazio said the right felt “legitimised” by its thumping September general election win “to behave like the owner of the public sphere with little regard for the public weal and with a boundless greed”.
Fazio has now signed a four-year deal with the Discovery Channel.
Appointments to the State broadcaster have always been heavily influenced by the government of the day.
ANSA
