Rai 3, with a radio and television program entirely in the Arbëresh language for Calabria

2025-09-14 17:47:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Rai 3, with a radio and television program entirely in the Arbëresh

Calabria is the first region with ordinary statute to launch a Rai program dedicated to linguistic minorities.

This program will include radio and television programs entirely in the Arbëresh language for Calabria.

Following the recent signing of the agreement between the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the Department for Information and Publications and Rai 3, the Coordination of Regional and Foreign Offices was able to begin producing television and radio programs aimed at promoting Arbëresh culture.

These programs, as reported by the Italian news agency 'Ansa', are directly linked to both Law 482 of 1999 and the National Service Contract, which ensures the protection of historical linguistic minorities present in the various Italian regions.

"The programming will start in mid-September and will last thirteen months, aiming to enhance the Arbëresh cultural heritage. We are the first region with ordinary statute to produce programming in a minority language and this makes me particularly proud as a Calabrian. I am satisfied with the work done and it will be a continuous and ongoing commitment for Calabria, but also for Rai, which once again performs its role as a public service television to the fullest," said Massimo Fedele, director of the regional office of Rai Calabria.

"This is an important step, not only for the Arbëresh people, but for Italian society as a whole and for the Albanian and Italo-Albanian community. It represents not only communication, but also the protection and appreciation of a unique linguistic and identity heritage, preserved for centuries in approximately fifty municipalities. It strengthens the sense of belonging, transmits the memory of our ancestors to the new generations and unites Albanians and Italo-Albanians with the Arbëresh universe", declared Anila Bitri Lani, the Ambassador of Albania to Italy.

The program will begin airing on September 21, with one episode every Sunday on television focusing on the communities present in the region. On radio, a program that encompasses and explores all aspects of Arbëresh culture will air Monday through Friday, with repeats on weekends./CNA