WORLDSPACE Satellite Radio has appointed Roberto Zaino as content director for the company’s Italian subsidiary. WORLDSPACE Italia is expected to bring mobile satellite radio services to the Italian marketplace with after-market receivers available for cars late next year and in certain Fiat car models as original equipment in late 2009.
Zaino is known in Italy as a pioneer of the radio broadcasting industry having began his career with the launch of Radio Milano International over 30 years ago. Throughout the years, Zaino has produced numerous, innovative programmes for radio, television and film. His most recent accomplishment was with RTL 102.5, where from 2005 to 2007, he increased daily listenership at this privately-owned station from 3.6 to over 5.5 million, according to Audiradio Data.
Zaino also founded and for 11 years ran his own media production company where he worked on numerous broadcast projects for both radio and TV. His love of contemporary Italian art led him to establish Amnesia Editions – an art catalogue publishing house. Zaino also organised over 100 contemporary art exhibitions in Italy and throughout Europe, and applied his radio savvy to produce Art Made in Italy, a multi-part series showcasing major Italian artists, which ran in over 120 markets worldwide. Zaino’s accomplishments also include writing and directing four short films and authoring three books. He has also won many radio awards including three for best original program in 1997, 2003 and 2005
“I am very excited at the opportunity afforded me by WORLDSPACE Italia. I look forward to using this great new technology’s vast capacity to offer a wide variety of unique programming to our Italian customers who today yearn for radio that steps outside the traditional mould,” said Roberto Zaino.
“We are very pleased to have Roberto join the growing WORLDSPACE Italia team,” said Alexander P. Brown, co-COO, WORLDSPACE Satellite Radio. “His knowledge of the Italian radio industry and the radio consumer, coupled with his innovation and creativity in the broadcasting arena, is just what we need as we prepare for launch in the Italian marketplace in late 2008.”