Guglielmo Marconi, the man who invented radio, oversaw the construction of the first short-wave transmitter at Prato Smeraldo outside Rome on July 1, 1930.

As the years went by the programmes lost their character of official - sometimes even propaganda - broadcasts to become a news source that fully reflects the democratic nature of the Italian Republic.

Up to the last broadcast, Radio Roma offered a comprehensive news service on Italian politics, society and culture, not least within the context of the European Union.

Subsequently the existing services for foreign broadcasting were expanded to include Rai International's new intercontinental television channels.

Thus the radio and news programmes produced by RAI were available worldwide without any special technical devices (apart from a computer and Internet connection).