06/12/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/11/2025 21:05
Broadcasters, producers, and media leaders from around the world will gather in Naples on 12-13 June 2025 for ABU Rai Days, continuing the global dialogue on the future of public service media with a special focus on children and younger audiences.
After the success of the 2024 edition, the event returns to address the theme: "Children and Media: Ensuring the Relevance of Public Service Media in the 21st Century." In a landscape dominated by streaming platforms and shifting consumption habits, public media must evolve to reach Generation Alpha and the soon-to-emerge Generation Beta-digital natives raised in a hyperconnected world.
The event begins on 12 June 2025 , at the Rai TV Production Centre in Naples, with opening remarks by Simona Martorelli, Director, Rai International Relations and European Affairs, followed by Michele di Bari, Prefect of Naples), Maria Luisa Faraone Mennella, Entrepreneur and Board Member, National Committee Neapolis 2500, Jean Philippe De Tender, EBU Deputy Director General and Media Director, and Nargiza Numanova, Head, Secretary General's Department, ABU.
A partnership between ABU (Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union) and Rai, the initiative is supported by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and joined by African Union of Broadcasters(AUB) and Arab States Broadcasting Union(ASBU). The event brings together stakeholders from 70 member organisations across four continents.
This year's conference is held in collaboration with NAPOLI MUSA - National Committee Neapolis 2500, which marks Naples' 2,500th anniversary. The committee celebrates the city's historical and cultural legacy through initiatives that blend memory and innovation while encouraging dialogue between institutions, creative industries, communities, and international partners.
Key topics include:
Media literacy and science education for younger audiences
Children's emotional and creative needs in contemporary content
International co-productions
Innovations in multimedia production
Regulatory frameworks in Asia and Europe
The programme includes contributions from Naples' top academic institutions: University of Federico II, Suor Orsola Benincasa University, and Parthenope University. It also showcases Rai's regional production excellence, tracing a path from previous editions in Rome, Venice, Milan, Florence - and now Naples, for the second year in a row.
Delegates will attend from across Asia, Europe, and the Pacific, including Australia, Japan, India, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Romania, and the UK, with virtual participation from New Zealand, China, Indonesia, Korea, Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar.
The event will be covered in a 30-minute special on Rai Italia, reaching 174 countries across five continents, with reruns on Rai 2 and online via Rai Play.
Local collaboration also plays a key role, with support from the Campania Region's Directorate General for Culture and Tourism, highlighting the region's cultural, artistic, historical, and gastronomic richness. A key partner is Coldiretti Campania, whose work with Campagna Amica promotes sustainable Italian agriculture through direct sales, green tourism, and environmental stewardship.
Stay tuned for more updates!