Silvio Berlusconi

            There is no question that in the United States there would ever be one man with control over the country's largest commercial and public television networks. This is not the case in smaller European countries that are less developed such as Italy.
             In Italy, there is one man who has sole control over the country's largest commercial television network and the government-controlled public television network, this man is Silvio Berlusconi. Should he be allowed to control these two networks? In order to find the answer to this question we must find the answers to other questions first.
             What kind of man is Berlusconi? Does he have a hidden agenda?.
             There is never any way to tell what kind of person someone truly is without getting to know them over a period of time. We can speculate that like most entrepreneurs, Berlusconi is looking out for his own best interests and probably wants to make a buck in the process. Therefore, he controls these two networks for two reasons: to make money and to make himself look good.
             Will people be exposed to what they want to see?.
             In order for these two networks to make money, Berlusconi must program shows that the people are willing to watch. The problem with having one owner is the limited options the viewers will receive. Everything shown will be based on what Berlusconi is willing to program. This will limit the points of view that the Italians will see on television. This could play a huge part when it comes to election time. For example, Berlusconi will only offer air time to certain political parties that he and his family favor. He could potentially solely show his own political party, eliminating any viewing of his competition. .
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             What kind of influence will this have on the public?.
             This could have a huge influence on the public. The public will be limited to one man's point of view. They will not be exposed to as many things because there are no competitors to rival Berlusconi.