ROME LETTER: Comedienne Sabrina Guzzanti cannot say she did not know what was coming. In fact, she predicted it in a series of promotional trailers that ran on state television station RAI, prior to the first episode of her new - so far, shortlived - comedy programme, Raiot.
Doing her now-celebrated imitation of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi - one that owes much to thespian talent and a brilliant make-up artist - she cheerfully informed viewers in perfect Berlusconi-speak: "Who told you I will allow this programme to be shown? There are plenty of days left between now and November 16th and we will be sure to find many opportunities to suspend it."
In truth, the first episode of the new show was not banned but, rather, broadcast as scheduled. Furthermore, it proved to be a huge success, attracting a record two million viewers, notwithstanding the fact that it was broadcast on a Sunday at around midnight on RAI's third, notoriously leftist, channel. The problems, however, began there and then. Much of the programme's content, including remarks about Jews and the crucifix, prompted an immediate, vigorous protest from the centre-right.
In reality, however, the real bone of contention was not so much the programme's alleged "bad taste" but rather a not-so-funny sketch-cum-monologue which offered a "colourful" summary of Prime Minister Berlusconi's career. It recalled not only his links to former Socialist prime minister Mr Bettino Craxi but also alleged links to the Mafia and described the rise and rise of his Mediaset commercial TV empire.
"Nowadays, the comedians have to say serious things ... on the other hand, if you have a prime minister who tells jokes, what else can you do? Italy ranks 53rd in a worldwide index of media freedom, after Benin, Ghana and Bolivia.
"Did you hear anything about that in the news bulletins? No. But then again, if you had, we would not rank 53rd, would we?" said Ms Guzzanti.
After two days of polemics, things came to a head last Wednesday when RAI's board of directors, faced with the threat of defamation litigation from Mediaset, suspended the programme.
Inevitably, the suspension (and for the time being, it remains a suspension, not a cancellation or total ban) prompted uproar from the centre-left which, in common with many Italians, fervently believes that the RAI board and its director general, Mr Flavio Cattaneo, are merely carrying out the orders of the Prime Minister himself.
Nearly 100 centre-left MPs last Thursday signed a petition calling on RAI to rethink its decision to halt the broadcasts, while intellectuals such as Nobel literature laureate Mr Dario Fo and pianist Mr Nicola Piovani expressed solidarity with Ms Guzzanti.
Last Sunday, more than 2,800 people crowded into Rome's Auditorium, with many more watching outside on a giant TV screen, for the chance to hear a theatrical version of the banned show and attend a "happening" which, in itself, became a protest in favour of artistic freedom and against political censorship.
What remains, however, is an uncomfortable question about media freedom in the era of Berlusconi.
Have we got to the point where criticism of the Prime Minister on state TV is simply not tolerated? (Needless to say, such criticism is not oft-aired on the channels of the Prime Minister's own commercial empire.)
There are recent precedents. For example, what do we make of the fact that some prime-time news bulletins on RAI TV managed to "overlook" recent centre-left successes in both a regional and a by-election contest?
How come not all RAI news bulletins carried the full sound and words of Mr Berlusconi's now-infamous Nazi-jibe at German Euro MP Mr Martin Schulz in the European parliament last July? Was it merely a coincidence that a phone-in poll on a popular RAI Sunday afternoon TV variety programme was dropped after the first "sounding" registered massive disapproval of the Prime Minister?
Is it coincidental that the current affairs presenters Mr Michele Santoro and Mr Enzo Biagio - both critical of the Prime Minister in the past - are currently frozen right off the airwaves? Has the time come for Italians to ask themselves just how wise it was to hand over their government to a man who, de facto, now controls 90 per cent of terrestrial TV in Italy?
Or is it simply too late?