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Country | Italy |
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Broadcast area | Italy |
Headquarters | Rome, Italy |
Programming | |
Language(s) | Italian |
Picture format | 1080i HDTV (downscaled to 16:9 576i for the SDTV feed) |
Ownership | |
Owner | RAI |
Sister channels | Rai 1 Rai 3 Rai 4 Rai 5 Rai Gulp Rai Movie Rai News 24 Rai Premium Rai Scuola Rai Sport Rai Storia Rai Yoyo Rai Ladinia Rai Südtirol Rai Italia |
History | |
Launched | 4 November 1961 |
Former names | Secondo Programma (1961–1975) Rete 2 (1975–1983) Rai Due (1983–2010) |
Links | |
Website | rai |
Availability | |
Terrestrial | |
Digital terrestrial television | Channel 2 (HD) Channel 502 (SD) |
Streaming media | |
RaiPlay | Live Streaming |
Rai 2 is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. It is the company's second television channel, and is known for broadcasting TG2 news bulletins, talk shows, reality television, drama series, sitcoms, cartoons and infotainment. In the 1980s it was known for its political affiliation to the Italian Socialist Party, it has shifted recently its focus towards the youth, including in its schedule reality shows, entertainment, TV series, news, knowledge and sports.
The second television channel in Italy, it was launched on 4 November 1961, seven years after RAI's first channel was launched on 3 January 1954. The channel was initially referred to as "Secondo Programma". It received other names, such as "Rete 2" and "Rai Due" until it adopted its current name "Rai 2". Its direct competitor to Mediaset's Italia 1. It is also a state-owned channel like Rai 1.
3 October 1983 - 26 September 1988
23 October 2000 - 18 May 2010
18 May 2010 - 12 September 2016
In use since 12 September 2016
A few programmes include:
Until 1975 regular broadcasting was monochrome, with very few exceptions. Since late 1975, then called Rete 2 began airing some new shows in colour, then beginning semi-regular colour broadcasting during the autumn season (a few hours a week). Rai 1 followed its "sister network" a few months later. Eventually, regular broadcasting in colour began on 1 February 1977.