Italian sports broadcaster hit by strikes after Mariah Carey gaffe at Olympic opening ceremony
A series of embarrassing gaffes by a senior Italian sports commentator during the Milan Cortina Winter Games opening ceremony has led to an unprecedented strike by his colleagues.
The blunders, which included misidentifying celebrities and Olympic officials, have deeply embarrassed staff at the state-owned broadcaster RaiSport.
Journalists from RaiSport announced protest measures on Monday, including withholding bylines until the end of the Winter Olympics and a three-day strike after the Games conclude.
This follows RaiSport director Paolo Petrecca’s blunder-strewn commentary on Friday, which prompted his removal from the closing ceremony commentary team after a meeting with Rai CEO Giampaolo Rossi.
Among Mr Petrecca’s many mistakes, he welcomed viewers to the “Stadio Olimpico” – a massive arena in Rome – despite being inside Milan’s iconic San Siro stadium.
He then mistook Italian actress Matilda De Angelis for global superstar Mariah Carey, who is 25 years her senior. Ms De Angelis later posted photos of the ceremony to Instagram with the caption: “Please, call me Mariah.”
Further errors included incorrectly identifying International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry as the daughter of Italian President Sergio Mattarella, who was walking alongside her.
The channel’s internal union body, the Comitato di Redazione, issued a statement expressing widespread embarrassment: “We have all been embarrassed, no one excluded, and through no fault of our own. It is time to make our voices heard because we are facing the worst-ever figure of RaiSport in one of the most eagerly awaited events ever.”
The commentary blunders were compounded by the fact that Mr Petrecca was not originally scheduled to cover the event. He stepped in after Auro Bulbarelli removed himself from the team for prematurely revealing the surprise arrival of President Mattarella on a classic orange tram, driven by former motorcycle racer Valentino Rossi.
During the torch relay, Mr Petrecca also failed to recognise members of Italy’s world champion men’s and women’s volleyball teams. He named only one female player, referring to the remaining five champions as “other torchbearers.” Men’s captain Simone Giannelli later posted on Instagram, “Thanks to the commentators,” accompanied by three laughing-crying emojis.
