L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano L o v e i t o r n o t , television is an integrant part of both our culture and our every- day life. Back in the 1950s, many Italians learned their national language for the f i r s t t i m e t h a n k s t o t e l e - vised evening classes, and it is through TV screens we all d i s c o v e r e d t h e w a y t h e w o r l d a r o u n d u s l o o k e d like. TVs are a ubiquitous p r e s e n c e i n e v e r y h o m e , regardless of where you live i n t h e w o r l d , a d i s c r e e t companion for many, often a simple background to lis- t e n t o w h e n y o u w o r k o r cook, or potter around the h o u s e . W e o f t e n s a y w e d o n ' t w a t c h i t , b u t i t ' s a l w a y s o n i n o u r l i v i n g rooms or kitchens. But television can have a d i f f e r e n t r o l e , a d e e p e r meaning when you are one of the many Italians who h a v e b e e n l i v i n g a b r o a d , and also for those who were born in another country but recognize their heritage as I t a l i a n . W h e n y o u m o v e away from the Belpaese for work, for studying or - why n o t - f o r l o v e , i t d o e s n ' t matter how happy you are in your new home, you'll r e a c h a p o i n t w h e n t h e pangs of homesickness may h i t y o u h a r d . A n d t h a t ' s when the familiarity of the T V c h a n n e l s y o u u s e d t o w a t c h , p e r h a p s a b s e n t - m i n d e d l y , p e r h a p s w i t h g r e a t i n t e r e s t , w h e n y o u were in Italy, can help miti- gate that temporary sense of loneliness. It's like being in two places at the same time, like enjoying both of your "homes" at once. For those who were born abroad, p e r h a p s , b e i n g a b l e t o w a t c h I t a l i a n T V i s e v e n more important, because it often represents the first, d i r e c t c o n t a c t t h e y h a v e with their ancestral culture, with the way the country looks like, sounds and func- t i o n s t o d a y , w i t h w h a t ' s trendy there and with what their fellow Italians back in Italy like and dislike. This is why having the opportunity to watch Italian television is important for Italian communities abroad. T h e s e r v i c e s o f f e r e d b y CiborTV, a platform where both national and regional I t a l i a n T V c h a n n e l s a r e streamed, want to meet the needs of an international community - that of Italians a b r o a d , i n c l u d i n g t h o s e b o r n a b r o a d , a n d Italophiles - that is in great expansion, and for whom remaining informed about t h e i r h o m e c o u n t r y a n d region is key. We of L'Italo-Ameri- c a n o h a d a c h a t w i t h Francesco Rizzo Marul- lo of CiborTV, who gave us more information about the platform's aims, its services and what's behind its cre- ation. Can you tell us some- t h i n g a b o u t h o w CiborTV came to be? T h e o r i g i n a l i d e a w a s born ten years ago thanks to the input and inspiration of Roberto Onofri, a famous Italian DJ and TV personali- ty who, today, is a media production partner and in charge of Miss Italia USA. C i b o r T V a s w e k n o w i t today, however, is the prod- uct of the company's current owners and its CEO, Enri- c o R o m a g n o l i . T h e k e y idea is simple: offering a product that can help Ital- ians and Italophiles all over t h e w o r l d t o b e i n t o u c h with Italy, in a way that is simple, functional and user- friendly. H o w l o n g h a v e y o u been on the market? T h e c u r r e n t p l a t f o r m , with its ad hoc "top box set" has been on the market for three years. W h a t ' s t h e l e a d i n g aim of CiborTV? CiborTV is a project in continuous evolution. We s t a r t e d w i t h t h e i d e a o f offering a service to Italians around the world and to all the people who have a pas- sion for our country. To all o f t h e m w e p r o p o s e d , regardless of the place they live, the opportunity to keep in touch with their country of origin by watching Italy's TV channels, including the regional ones. We liked the idea of being an open win- dow onto the Belpaese. I n t i m e , t h e o f f e r h a s grown. Today, thanks to the 1 9 6 S p o r t s a p p , w h i c h belongs to the same corpo- rate group as CiborTV, our subscribers can enjoy the whole Serie C-LegaPro soc- c e r c h a m p i o n s h i p . A n d while we have at heart all of our fellows Italians across the globe, who remain the core of our business, we'd like to become a reference point especially for the Ital- ian American community s o o n . I n t h i s o p t i c , w e ' l l launch a new Food Network channel on our platform, with a series in English fully produced by CiborTV. What's the difference b e t w e e n C i b o r T V a n d o t h e r s t r e a m i n g s e r - v i c e s , e v e n t h o s e t h a t s p e c i a l i z e i n I t a l i a n products? We are the only platform that allows its subscribers to enjoy the vast majority of Italy's TV channels, includ- ing regional ones, and that has own-produced shows. Thanks to our collaboration with 196Sports, as I men- t i o n e d , w e a r e t h e o n l y streaming service offering, through its "top box set," all Serie C games - there are more than 1140! -, including play-offs, play-outs and the Serie C Coppa Italia. More- over, we are also partners and distributors of the Miss Italia nel Mondo Channel, thanks to our collaboration w i t h R o b e r t o O n o f r i , t h e patron of Miss Italia USA, the American iteration of t h e M i s s I t a l i a b e a u t y pageant. STAFF One of the many happy customers of CiborTV (Photo courtesy of CiborTV) W h e n T V m a k e s y o u f e e l a t home: the remarkable adventure of CiborTV LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE

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