Background
BERNABEI, Ettore was born in 1921.
journalist and broadcasting executive
BERNABEI, Ettore was born in 1921.
University of Florence.
Early career
Ettore Bernabei began his career as editor in chief of a Florentine newspaper with Christian Democratic ties called the Giornale del Mattino. Then, from 1956 to 1960, he was editor in chief of another Christian Democratic newspaper Il Popolo. Career with Radiotelevisione Italiana
In 1961, Fanfani appointed Bernabei to be the Director General of Radio Audizioni Italiane (Radiotelevisione Italiana), where he remained until 1974.
He took over Radiotelevisione Italiana in the midst of an Italian Constitutional Court decision, renewing Radiotelevisione Italiana’s monopoly over television broadcasting.
During his tenure as Director General, he furthered the tight grasp that the Christian Democratic party held over the broadcaster. Opponents charged Bernabei and Radiotelevisione Italiana with being too intertwined with the governing party.
In order to create a seemingly more balanced Radiotelevisione Italiana and to appease these opponents, Bernabei began to hire journalists with ties to other parties. This was merely a symbolic gesture, as he largely ignored the ideas of these new employees and stuck to his own agenda.
Bernabei’s strategy greatly increased the size of Radiotelevisione Italiana, but ultimately backfired for two reasons: Radiotelevisione Italiana became full of political enemies and Radiotelevisione Italiana’s Christian Democrats split into competing groups.
As a result of his hiring policies, he began to lose his once strong control over the broadcaster, and by the time he left in 1974, Radiotelevisione Italiana was in need of reform. Despite all this, Bernabei"s leadership is often regretted as a form of entertainment inspired by pedagogical principles, which has been missing hitherto in the Italian television Post-Radiotelevisione Italiana From 1974 to 1991 Bernabei was the managing director and chairman of Italstat.
In 1991, with a group of Italian entrepreneurs he started the television production company Lux Vide, which is famous for series such as The Bible and Jesus.
Since February 2007, he has served on the advisory board for T-Systems Italia Società per Azioni. in 1966, Ettore Bernabei was named Cavaliere di Gran Croce by President of the Italian Republic Giuseppe Saragat.
His aim was to entertain and educate all viewers, while creating larger public support for the Christian Democracy.