We could define it as the crisis of Rete 4, of ‘retequatrismo’ or of the talk genre, which engulfs and militarily occupies Mediaset’s third network. Multiple readings that do not change the substance: the channel is suffering and the trend of this start of the season appears, in fact, to be the most difficult and complicated in recent years.

The numbers speak clearly. Rete 4 struggled on Monday with Porro, on Tuesday with Berlinguer, terribly on Wednesday with the newly arrived Labate, on Thursday with the tarnished Del Debbio and on Sunday with the evicted Giordano, the only one able to show the ‘professor’ the paper with the justification. The only one smiling is Nuzzi, who with his “Quarto Grado” represents in every sense the exception to the rule, given that it is the only program not to deal with politics.

What does politics have to do with it

Yes, politics. That is, the topic most subject to external factors, capable of exploding in the event of a government crisis or upcoming elections, or of dying out miserably if there are technical executives in power. There are also scenarios which, although compelling, must be documented in a certain way, with a certain slant and from a precise point of view.

And this is where Rete 4 seems to have stumbled. Because if on the one hand the Meloni government appears more solid than ever, with the prime minister’s party comfortably at the top of the approval ratings, on the other there is a television that needs a specific narrative, possibly an “opposition” one.

After all, if in Parliament the enemy appears harmless and without weapons, he needs to vent outside, perhaps in arenas that nitpick those in power, frame him, demonize him and put him on ‘trial’.

It has always been like this, since the days of Michele Santoro, who racked up ratings by impaling Silvio Berlusconi, just as Berlusconi was dominating in the polls. A contradiction? No. Simply the desire to be contradictory.

Del Debbio is the face most in difficulty

In this sense, the face most in difficulty is Del Debbio, who has just returned from the last month in total trouble compared to a revived Corrado Formigli who, with “Piazzapulita”, was able to intercept the Gaza issue from the Flotilla case onwards. An international scenario that “Dritto e rovescio” addresses, but in a bored and ‘passive’ way, a feeling that identifies perfectly with its host, who suffers the discussion rather than directs it. The days of Roma pickpockets stealing on the subway are therefore long gone, recently replaced with the denunciation of insecurity in the big cities, coincidentally all administered by the center-left and without the Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi, ever being consulted. How distant are the times of Lamorgese…

Giordano, with his “Fuori dal coro”, does not deviate much from a similar direction, despite the fact that on the ‘house thieves’ front he has often (and surprisingly) expressed himself against Meloni. His broadcast has the merit of having transformed compared to that of the early days, renouncing the studio audience and skirmishes with right-wing politicians (remember Salvini who ate popcorn?), in favor of investigations and reports of injustices by citizens.

“Fourth Republic”, above all, is the most impartial context. Of course, the ideological approach is clear, however it is the only place where the guest can really discuss and compete with his opponent, among other things without applause or interruptions of any kind. Porro – who returns to the ‘Zuppa’ on social media in the last block in the company of Giuseppe Cruciani – however has to deal with a ‘hybrid’ approach that succumbs to the ‘aggressive’ cut of “Lo Stato delle Cose”, with Giletti who manages to create the event even if the ingredients in his hands are zero or of poor quality.

A separate discussion for Berlinguer and Labate

Bianca Berlinguer and Tommaso Labate deserve a separate discussion. For them the thesis of ‘retequatrism’ is not valid, as they are figures attributable to the left. As far as “It’s always Cartabianca” is concerned, someone thought of automatically moving Rai 3 viewers (who weren’t already very many) to Rete 4, betting everything on the host’s grip. A certainty undermined by the identity principle and by the difficulty of transferring a certain electorate to Emilio Fede’s former network. A problem also encountered by Labate, whose parable is very similar to that of Gerardo Greco. In other words, centre-right viewers do not recognize themselves in the program and in the journalist at the helm, centre-left ones do not recognize themselves in the brand. The result is that of being neither fowl nor fowl, in a reality that seems to want to open itself up to all opinions, after having acted in the opposite direction for a long time.

In all of this, the “Wheel” effect should finally be analysed. If for centuries Canale 5’s access had sailed between 12-14% share, today we are called to deal with a doubled audience which inevitably penalizes the ‘small fish’. An impatience demonstrated by the proliferation of “previews”, useful for isolating the segments that overlap with Gerry Scotti’s game. An alibi, not the explanation of a serious and prolonged setback.