One of the biggest personalities in worldmediaand politics is no more.
Berlusconis route to the top of Europes media landscape is well-storied.
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In short, he was a force of nature.
Silvio Berlusconi (left) and his son Pier Silvio Berlusconi, CEO of MediaForEuropeGetty
With him, Italy learned that it should never have limits imposed on it, added Meloni.
An Italian sociologist writing inthe Guardianeven claimed he had pioneered the politics of Trumpism.
Advertisers flocked, and Berlusconi became the father of Italian commercial broadcasting.
Sex and big shoulder pads became the name of the game.
He clearly knew this business from the inside out.
He liked to think of himself as the Ted Turner of Italy and beyond, said Guider.
Several seedy episodes plagued him, including the sordid Bunga Bunga parties scandal involving an underage sex worker.
The European Broadcasting Union, which counts RAI among its members, declined to comment for this article.
You would have to call that a success from a broadcasting and a lobbying point of view.
He ultimately was acquitted of charges related to the Bunga Bunga parties.
Papadia noted how Italians would separate Berlusconi the politician with Berlusconi the media mogul.
That model used to work but now feels a bit old.
Transitioning to a more modern model where personal relationships count for less and digital is prioritized will be costly.
For one thing, current CEO Pier Silvio Berlusconis leadership qualities are under the microscope.
(He is also 85.)
The jury remains out on whether this will come next.
Neither MFE nor Fininvest had responded to Deadlines request for comment on their future by press time.
Although hehad been unwell for some time, Berlusconis death is sending shockwaves through the European media landscape.
His influence no doubt will be felt for years to come.
That was not a small feat nor one easy to pull off in the Italy of the 1980s.
