The Ministry of Communications was set up in 1924 as a government ministry of the Kingdom of Italy, dealing with postal, telephone, telegraph and electronic communications, journalistic information and commercial advertising.
Since the Berlusconi IV Cabinet of 2008 it has been incorporated into the Ministry of Economic Development.
The first minister was Costanzo Ciano, founder of what was to become RAI (Radio-television Italia).
[5] The actual incorporation was to take place in 2001, but was stopped by the government of Silvio Berlusconi.
The ministry reached its present-day configuration after the financial crisis of 2007–2008, when the Prodi Government decided[6] to revert to the Bassanini Reform of 1999.