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overview
holdings
landmarks
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landmarks
This chronology is indicative only. It covers -
Context is provided by the broader communications and
media timeline on this site.
beginnings
1936 Silvio Berlusconi born
1960 Corte Costituzionale rules that state broadcaster
RAI monopoly is unconstitutional
1962 Berlusconi establishes real estate development company
Cantieri Riuniti Milanesi
1963 establishes Edilnord property and construction group,
builds residential district at Brugherio
1965 marries Carla Dell'Oglio
1969 builds Milano 2 residential development, later builds
Milano 3 and Il Girasole developments
1973 founds cable television station Telemilano to service
Milano 2
1974 Telemilano starts operation
1975 establishes Fininvest holding group
1976 Corte Costituzionale ruling allows local radio and
television
1977 Berlusconi buys 12% of Il Giornale
1978 founds 'virtual' national television network - local
stations simultaneously broadcast the same programs
1978 buys Milan's Teatro Manzoni
1979 increases Il Giornale stake to 38%, later
gains all shares
Canale 5 and Retequattro
1980 launches Canale 5 television network
1980 Rete Italia establishes Publitalia advertising company
1982 launches Programma Italia financial services company
1983 buys Italia Uno television network from Rusconi publishing
group for 30 billion lire
1983 sells 49% of Il Giornale to Fininvest
1984 buys Retequattro television network from Arnoldo
Mondadori publishing group
1984 prime minister Craxi's 'Berlusconi Decree' overturns
court order banning Berlusconi from broadcasting
1984 Programma Italia buys Mediolanum Assicurazioni insurance
company
1985 marries Carla Dell'Oglio
1985 buys stake in Mondadori publishing group
1985 buys cinema chain
La Cinq and La Standa
1985 launches La Cinq tv network in France in partnership
with Jerome Seydoux
1986 Seydoux leaves La Cinq following elections, replaced
by Robert Hersant
1986 Berlusconi becomes chair of AC Milan soccer club,
with most equity in club
1987 involved in Telefunf network in Germany
1988 buys La Standa department store group
1989 takes stake in Telecinco network in Spain with Kirch
1990 Legge Mammi creates Berlusconi/RAI duopoly
1990 Berlusconi marries Veronica Lario
1990 Hersant and Berlusconi withdraw from La Cinq
1990 bitter fight with de Benedetti for control of Mondadori
publishing group and la Repubblica
1991 buys Mondadori
1992-94 shrugs off bribery, tax fraud and creative accounting
litigation during the Tagentopoli ("Bribesville") investigations
Forza Italia
1993 forms populist Forza
Italia party
1994 Forza Italia becomes largest bloc in national parliament
1994 Belusconi becomes PM, with Forza Italia in coalition
with neo-fascist Alleanza Nazionale and Northern League,
but resigns at end of year
1994 Fininvest spins off media and advertising assets
into Mediaset
1995 sells 20% stake in Mediaset to Kirch
(10%) and others for US$1.1 billion
1996 reduces Mediaset stake to under 50% through a public
flotation, with Berlusconi getting around US$550m through
share sale
1998 sells La Standa's discount store arm (167 locations)
1999 Epsilon MediaGroup established as 50% partnership
with Kirch
2000 Mediolanum pays €470m for 2% stake in Mediobanca
Citizen Berlusconi?
2001 becomes PM again
2001 Mediaset buys Radio Italia (national commercial radio
network), advertising agency Editoriale Sper, syndication
company CNR and news agency AGR
2001 sells 9% stake in mobile phone operator Blu
2005 Berlusconi reduces stake in Mediaset to 34% with
sale of 16.7% interest for €2 billion
2006 loses election and ceases to be Italian Prime Minister
2006 Mondadori agrees to buy Emap France (magazine operations
including Le Film Francais, Tele Star and Tele
Poche) from EMAP for £380m
2007 Mediaset, John de Mol and Goldman Sachs pay US$3.56bn
for Telefonica's 75% in Endemol
NV
2007 forms People of Freedom party (PDL), absorbing National
Alliance
2008 becomes Italian Prime Minister
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