Mentana rules out Mediaset return after Berlusconi says doors are open

The farewell from Tg La7

Enrico Mentana announced on 24 October 2026, at the Marchiaro prize ceremony in Alessandria, that he would leave Tg La7, which he has directed since 2010, on 23 December. The departure falls a few days before the end of the year and the expiry of his contract on 31 December 2026. He reportedly sent the publisher, Urbano Cairo, a letter ending his contract. Cairo had said he would be happy for Mentana to remain with La7, and he acknowledged his disappointment while noting that there is a moment when things can end. Speculation about Mentana's next step grew in the weeks that followed, and a possible return to Mediaset, where he worked for years, was among the options discussed.

Berlusconi leaves the door open

On 11 November, at a press meeting at the Mediaset headquarters in Cologno Monzese, Pier Silvio Berlusconi, group CEO and chairman of Mfe-MediaForEurope, was asked about Mentana's future. He answered with an open invitation.

“To Enrico Mentana I say that Mediaset's doors are always open. Here Mentana is welcome.”

He added that he has great personal esteem and affection for Mentana. On politics, Berlusconi said that neither he nor his sister Marina intends to enter politics actively, though both want to keep alive what their father built. He said Forza Italia is one of the largest legacies of their father and may still have a future. Berlusconi also said Marina had been drawn into debate about the party, but had only talked with people with Forza Italia's interests in mind.

Mentana's reply

Late on 11 November, Mentana published a message on his Instagram and Facebook pages that closes the question of a return to Mediaset. Alongside a photo taken at Tg5, he recalled that 11/11 is the only day of the calendar with a single repeated digit, and that it was the day he last greeted Tg5 viewers.

“A definitive farewell, because history only moves forward.”

The break with Mediaset dates to 9 February 2009, when news broke of the death of Eluana Englaro, who had spent 17 years in a vegetative state. Canale 5 was airing Grande Fratello that evening, and Mentana asked to go on air at once to inform viewers. Unconfirmed reports suggest that with a Tg5 return ruled out, a move to Rai is more likely, possibly to direct Tg1 in place of Gian Marco Chiocci. For now Mentana has sidestepped the question with a joke, saying he might spend a while being a grandfather.

Mediaset's numbers

At the same meeting Berlusconi cited the group's performance. Over 24 hours, Mediaset's share grew by 0.8 points on 2025 and by four points compared with 2021. Its total audience share stood at 38.2, rising to 39.5 in the 20.20-22.30 slot, helped by Ruota della Fortuna, which drew over 4 million viewers. For the first nine months of the year, Mfe-Mediaset reported an adjusted operating result of 110 million, against a pro forma negative 23 million in the same period of 2025. Mediaset also presented Mia, an AI agent offered to all employees in Italy, Spain and Germany.

Expansion plans

Berlusconi described the group as a broadcaster spanning Italy, Spain, Germany and Portugal. He named France as the missing piece, pointing to its two large networks, TF1 and M6. He said a merger is not possible for now, but that Mediaset could be interested if something became possible in future. He also said the group is considering expansion in the Czech Republic through CME. A further stake in Portugal's Impresa, he said, would depend on partners.