Rai's decision to bar Fedez from a
talk show is linked to the rapper's anti-government raps at this
year's Sanremo Song Festival and the Labour Day concert, both
screened live by the state broadcaster, Managing Director
Roberto Sergio told Corriere della Sera newspaper Tuesday.
"The problem isn't about paid or free participation," he said
about the Milanese rapper's exclusion from the Belve show on
Raidue.
"The decision is linked to his last two appearances on Rai, both
on May Day and the last Sanremo".
The rapper and pop star created a furore after taking aim at two
government officials during a freestyle rap he performed at the
Sanremo song festival in February.
In the rap, Fedez mentioned a "deputy minister dressed as
Hitler" and tore up a photo showing Transport and Infrastructure
Deputy Minister Galeazzo Bignami dressed in a brown shirt with a
Nazi armband - an image dating back to 2005.
He also said "unfortunately abortion is a right, yep, I didn't
say so, a minister did" - a reference to Family Minister Eugenia
Roccella.
Stefano Coletta, the director of prime-time entertainment for
Rai, which organizes the festival, said at the time that the
State broadcaster "strongly disassociates itself from the
personal attacks of Fedez's performance".
At the annual leftwing union organized May Day concert,
broadcast live from Rome, Fedez took aim at government policies
on migrants and minority rights again and quoted a rightwing
League party member as saying he would burn alive a son if he
found out he was gay.
Fedez, 33, one part of Italy's premier showbiz power couple with
influencer and businesswoman Chiara Ferragni, is currently
hospitalised with a fresh haemorrhage after nearly dying from
massive blood loss caused by two stomach ulcers linked to
pancreatic cancer surgery he had last year.
The rapper's Rai bar has been slammed by opposition parties.
Belve host Francesca Fagnani said she disagreed with Rai
management's decision.
photo: Fagnani and Fedez
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
