Rai executives prepare reassignment for Report host Sigfrido Ranucci following Ethics Committee review

Rai leadership convenes on reassignment options

On 25 August 2026, Rai chief executive Giampaolo Rossi met in Rome with legal affairs director Francesco Spadafora and human resources director Felice Ventura to determine the corporate path for Sigfrido Ranucci. Management is evaluating three alternative positions under the collective bargaining agreement to transition Ranucci away from hosting the Rai 3 investigative programme Report. The potential posts would place Ranucci back inside an operational or ad personam role within a journalistic newsroom, such as RaiNews24, where he previously served as a special correspondent between 1999 and 2006. The internal review follows an opinion submitted by the company ethics committee, which was classified and delivered exclusively to Rossi on 13 August. Rossi requested additional assessments regarding potential reputational damage after Valter Lavitola confessed to ordering an October bomb attack outside Ranucci's residence.

Ranucci rejects demotion during Cerveteri appearance

Speaking on 25 August in Cerveteri at a presentation for his show Diario di un trapezista, Ranucci stated that Rai leadership appears resolved to remove him from the programme he has led. He rejected suggestions of transferring to the broadcaster's training school, arguing that training investigative reporters only to sideline them makes little operational sense. Ranucci noted that he has worked at the public broadcaster for 35 years, beginning as a production assistant without political or trade union sponsors. He recalled earlier attempts to dismiss him in 2000 after locating an interview with Paolo Borsellino, in 2005 over his Fallujah reporting, and later during the Autogrill controversy. Regarding Lavitola, Ranucci stated that he would provide full explanations exclusively to magistrates investigating the case.

I was born in Rai and my dream would have been to finish in Rai, continuing to host and above all continuing to grow a team that already has important qualities.

Legal defense and future format of Report

Ranucci's attorney, Roberto De Vita, characterized the corporate moves and ongoing scrutiny as an unjustified offensive that fails to defer even to judicial findings. De Vita argued that the public broadcaster has an obligation to protect its journalists to preserve its democratic public service mission. Within the broadcaster, programming plans keep Report scheduled for broadcast starting in November 2026 on Rai 3. Broadcaster executives are considering restructuring the format toward an internal collective model without a single official presenter, utilizing a relay of investigative reporters to introduce segments. Potential successor hosts named in internal discussions include Presadiretta presenter Riccardo Iacona, Belve host Francesca Fagnani, and Report correspondents Giorgio Mottola and Federico Ruffo.

When the guilty party is separated from actual guilt, truth has already given way to persecution.

European scrutiny and regulatory context

The dispute around Report has also extended into European Union regulatory channels. The political party Fratelli d'Italia submitted a formal letter to European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen, requesting an assessment of whether the Rai 3 programme maintains editorial balance under the European Media Freedom Act. A spokesperson for the European Commission confirmed receipt of the correspondence, stating that the EU executive does not comment on individual editorial cases while noting that developments will be monitored under its Rule of Law Reports. Rai executives expect to finalize their formal proposal to Ranucci within days to avoid prospective labour litigation regarding his ad personam deputy director title.