Rising ratings, presenters who have become household names in infotainment, and a strategy built on continuity. Urbano Cairo unveiled La7’s new season and, addressing an audience of more than 1,000 guests gathered at Superstudio Più, spoke about the network’s golden moment, announced the key highlights of the upcoming schedule, and notably made no mention of Enrico Mentana, the evening’s most conspicuous absentee.

More than a thousand guests, a packed audience worthy of a major occasion, and a message that sounded almost like a manifesto: never change a winning team.

At Milan’s Superstudio Più, La7 presented its new programming slate, set to launch in September, turning the traditional schedule presentation into a fast-paced show with Urbano Cairo firmly at centre stage. Chairman, publisher, entrepreneur and one-man show, Cairo commanded the room with ease, mixing figures, anecdotes and jokes while openly expressing his satisfaction with a season that has firmly established the network’s standing. The numbers speak for themselves. “After three years of steady growth, La7 is now Italy’s third-largest national network in prime time, a milestone that confirms the strength of an editorial project that has successfully carved out a distinct identity within the Italian television landscape” the chairman said. The formula, therefore, remains unchanged. All of the network’s flagship personalities and programmes will return, from Giovanni Floris and DiMartedì to Lilli Gruber and Otto e Mezzo, from Massimo Gramellini’s In Altre Parole to the Marianna Aprile-Luca Telese duo at the helm of In Onda. While the loudest applause was reserved for the returning favourites, it was Enrico Mentana’s absence that attracted the most attention. The editor-in-chief of TgLa7, whose contract is nearing expiration, was nowhere to be seen. There was no comment from the stage, very much a case of the show must go on, with the focus instead shifting to the network’s upcoming projects. Following the launch of La7Cinema, the broadcaster is stepping up its digital ambitions with the introduction of La7 Play, a new platform that will allow viewers to access programmes and content anytime, on any device, albeit somewhat later than its competitors. The network also announced it will air M, Sky’s series dedicated to Benito Mussolini, marking the first time the production will be shown on a free-to-air national television channel, an arrival that is certain to spark debate.