Mediaset

Giambruno is the presenter of a news program transmitted by Mediaset, part of the MFE media group owned by the heirs of the late Silvio Berlusconi, the former premier and Meloni ally.

Italy’s Sport Mediaset channel called Thursday “the most important day for the future of our championship”.

A deal between the two sides would free Mediaset's hand to press ahead with merging its Italian and Spanish units, folding them into the Dutch holding.

In September, the private broadcaster Mediaset aired a “deep fake video,” which used seamless visual effects to doctor speech by former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

Mediaset was set up by Berlusconi in 1980 when the future politician was a rising media entrepreneur.

Shareholders in Italian broadcaster Mediaset on Wednesday backed a plan to create a pan-European media group under a new Dutch holding, fending off opposition from its second biggest shareholder Vivendi.

Under the plan, both Mediaset and its Spanish unit would be merged into a Dutch company dubbed MediaForEurope (MFE).

Berlusconi is the controlling shareholder of Mediaset and has owned the Italian football club A.C. Milan since 1986.

In addition the Mediaset journalist Silvia Trevaini had allegedly been bribed, not only by the same monthly fee but also by extra gifts equal to €800,000.