Curtain Up: Multiradio Enters the Scene

After purchasing RCT, Oriana began to aspire to acquire Radio Onda, the most powerful competitor in the area: more frequencies, more advanced technology, and deep roots in the local area. Radio Onda was also famous for its sports coverage, with live broadcasts from stadiums even outside the province thanks to the program "Palla al centro," the station's flagship program. And while RCT was driven by enthusiastic young people, Radio Onda employed full-time professionals: a different, more consolidated world.

The negotiation was expected to be anything but straightforward, given the historic rivalry between the two broadcasters. But tenacity, patience, and the ability to seize upon a moment of difficulty allowed Oriana to close the deal.

The first issue to resolve after the merger was the human one: uniting two teams that for years had viewed each other as rivals. Soon, Claudio Scarponi and Carla Liberti, who had previously worked for Radio on the staff, both of whom would remain with the Multiradio team for many years, enriching it with their expertise and professionalism.

On the technical and organizational front, there was much to rebuild: systems to be reorganized, radio links to be rationalized, antennas to be overhauled, equipment to be evaluated, eliminated, or replaced. The commercial sector also needed to be rebuilt.

Marketing, acquiring new advertisers, and finding sponsors to cover the reorganization costs. Every decision was carefully considered, starting with the first jingles, purchased from a national studio. It is at this juncture that Fabio Gattari, freelancer with expertise in IT and radio technology, arrives.

His contribution allows Multi-radio to make a leap forward in a short time. In March 1984, Multiradio opened its doors to the city with a grand inauguration in the presence of Mayor Paolucci, Father Marziano Rondina and Leo Birzoli, journalist and vice president of RAI, intrigued by a new local free radio station.

But the real protagonists are the citizens, who for two consecutive days queue up to see the radio studio, browse the rich collection of records, listen to the connections live and enter the reality of what until then had only been a voice in the ether.

The market responded immediately, and advertising soared: the city's longtime businesses-Ivana Borse, Felicetti, De Filippo, Nazareno Gabrielli, and Ciccioli-competed to secure a radio spot. Massimino Zenobi also arrived, bringing with him the experience he gained after founding a small radio station with some friends. He brought a valuable contribution as an advertising executive, as well as a clear vision for the station's graphics and communications.

Multiradio immediately joined A-ER, the Association of Radios of the Marche region, which later merged with AERANTI, established in Ancona to protect free radio stations and keep them updated on industry regulations. In this context, Oriana was the only woman in the room, watched with curious perplexity by her colleagues, convinced that it wasn't a woman's job and that it would soon fail. She defies skepticism head on, continuing to educate herself, staying up to date, and following every technological development in the sector.

And so what had begun as an adventure had transformed into a company, a frequency, a promise. The antenna pointed high.