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Media in the Dolomites
The media started relatively late to diffuse the daily news in Ladin. Even if some university students in Innsbruck tried to realise a newspaper entitled L’amic di Ladins in 1905, it was only possible in 1949 to write a newspaper (Popul Ladin) which could be available for all households around the Sella Massif. In 1972 this newspaper passed into the hand of the Union Generela di Ladins dla Dolomites which provided an editorial office for every valley. The name of the newspaper changed several times: from Popul Ladin it changed to Nos Ladins to finally be entitled La Usc di Ladins, as it is still called today. At the beginning it was published once a month and after 1990 it became a weekly edition. It has always had the function of spreading Ladin history and culture without forgetting many other aspects of social life. As far as the content of the articles is concerned, the subdivision of the newspaper reflects the geographical subdivision: after a first part which deals with current topics or which includes political articles, there are specific sections which report the news for a restricted readership. If the first articles are generally written in the standard form of Ladin, the different sections are written in the Ladin variations of the different valleys.
Next to La Usc di Ladins, there are also some Ladin articles in the Gazzettino of Belluno and in the two daily newspapers which are mostly read in Val Badia and Val Gardena, namely Dolomiten and Alto Adige. From 1982 onwards, Dolomiten reserves one page to its Ladin readers: at the beginning this page was published once a week under the title Cin valades, öna na jënt, while nowadays it is published three times a week under the title Dala Ladinia. The articles published always focus on topics that concern the Ladin territory, they can also be written in German or in one of the two variations of Val Badia and Val Gardena. In Alto Adige, on the other hand, this page has been published since 1979. The readership of this newspaper is slightly wider since, next to the texts written in Italian and in the two Ladin variations of Val Badia and Val Gardena, there are also texts in the Ladin of Val di Fassa, Livinallongo and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
As far as radio and television are concerned, the first news were transmitted in 1946. Some intellectuals and idealists who placed a great importance on the Ladin question, started to collect information about what happened in the Ladin territory and to read these news first of all on the radio. From 1953 onwards the Union Generela di Ladins dla Dolomites ensured a regular transmission and the Ladin news were transmitted twice a week. From 1962 onwards – next to the news – also cultural programmes were broadcast. Nowadays it is possible to listen to Ladin news every day from 13.30 to 14.00. Except on Mondays and Thursdays also a cultural programme entitled La Copa dal Café is broadcast. In the evening there are shorter news followed by the cultural programme Dai Crëps dl Sela.
On television some experiments were made between January 22nd and June 25th 1979 in order to find out whether Ladin programmes could be successful or not. From 1988 onwards Ladin news have been broadcast regularly. If initially they were broadcast only twice a week (on Tuesdays and Thursdays), from 1996 onwards they have been broadcast daily at five minutes to eight, shortly before the German news. Moreover, on Thursday evening, from 20.30 to 21.00 there are various cultural programmes (among others Bancorin, Paladina and Eurotv).
The programmes by Silvano Ploner for RTTR, a private channel which can be seen on the territory of the Trentino-Alto Adige Region, also have to be mentioned in this context.
Next to official radio stations there are several private stations which read the news in Ladin, for example Radio Gherdëina (in the variation of Val Gardena), Radio Studio Record (in the variation of Val di Fassa) or Radio Cortina which transmits in Ampezzano. In Val Badia the programmes of the private station Radio Ladinia had to be interrupted because of financial reasons. The station had been created by several representatives of cultural associations.
The Ladin minority still has no press agency. The press office of the Bolzano Province reserves one work place for Ladin speaking people. At least, this makes it possible to spread the provincial communications in Ladin.