"Hello, is the Mayor Here?" Local Politics in Turin Private Broadcasting. The Case of Videogruppo Piemonte

This paper explores the role of the local broadcaster Videogruppo Piemonte in shaping political communication and civic discourse in Turin between 1976 and 1990. Based on a range of sources – including audiovisual materials, internal documents, and oral interviews – retrieved from an informal and partially dispersed archive, the study reconstructs the channel’s editorial orientation and its efforts to position itself as a public service platform at the local level. Particular attention is devoted to the program The City Calls – The Mayor Answers, a weekly live show that enabled direct interaction between citizens and political institutions through call-in participation.