WRA - Web Radio Associate is the primary association representing commercial and non-profit internet radio broadcasters in Italy.
I founded it in 2005 by chance, thanks to a suggestion from Roberto Giovannini, the national president of the local radio station associated with FRT - Federazione Radio TV (now part of the Confindustria Radio TV association).
Industry:
Broadcast MediaDate:
2005Website:
www.wra.itSkills:
Problem Solving, Online Copyright, Web Development, Radio and Internet Laws, Trade Agreements, Journalism, Radio & Broadcasting, Live Streaming, Podcasting
Thanks to my passion for computer science and Radio Broadcasting, I shared all my knowledge on how to broadcast online through public forums and live events dedicated to IT communities such as Linux User Groups.
Due to my experience in terrestrial broadcasting I was looking for a radio association to represent the internet radio station I was creating. I was afraid to re-living another Mammì Law for internet radio stations in Italy. At that time, between 2001 and 2003, no associations were representing internet radio stations. It was too early.
Around 2004 I contacted FRT asking to join their association with my radio station. Unlike other radio associations, FRT at least showed some interest in internet radio stations. It was there when I met Giovannini. He, probably, saw me aware about the topic and the new media. Perhaps this is why he suggested that I create a sort of movement to gather the first Internet radio in Italy with the aim of merging it into FRT as soon as the internet radios became most common in Italy. Then I kept WRA an independent association. But this is another story.
Thanks to Giovannini's suggestion I started promoting this idea online mainly through all the forums dedicated to internet radio stations. On the 23rd of July 2005 I founded the WRA with the aim of representing the Italian internet radio stations with the main stakeholders involved in the life-cycle of the internet radio laws and regulators.Since the founding of WRA I have managed commercial trade agreements between radio stations and the main Italian music organizations for music such as SIAE, SCF, LEA and ITSRIGHT.
I also represent internet radio stations with the regulator and competition Authority for the communication industries in Italy.
Since 2005 WRA has helped more than 500 radio projects develop their idea online by providing both legal and technical advice.
WRA Labs:
WRA is the editor/publisher of Webcaster. It is a magazine aimed at web broadcasters. Hence, Webcaster.
Between the years 2021 and 2022, the WRA website has split into two different projects. The WRA website will continue to provide institutional information oriented to the association activities and laws updates.
The section previously used to publish technical and legal tutorials will be published under the webradio.academy's web domain.
Actually, Web Radio is the main way to define internet radio stations in Italy.