Alessandra De Stefano it was one of the best known faces of the mythicals Tokyo Olympics. The Rai Sport journalist, who for years has been an impeccable account of cycling, was at the helm of The circle of rings, a Rai Due broadcast that has collected a lot of ratings and has been able to make the Azzurri’s adventure on Japanese soil even more enjoyable. Interviewed by Fq Magazine, Alessandra explained in detail how the program was born, how the brilliant guests were selected, starting from the revelations Yuri Checi e Sara Simeoni and how teamwork is more important than the solo of an individual. He also talked about Raffaella Carrà, whom he accidentally met in a supermarket and with whom he cultivated a special friendship.
De Stefano, besides having been found very well prepared, was able to scissor the classic rhetoric often used in certain events from the sports story, focusing more on irony and on the life stories of the athletes in competition. A choice that turned out to be more than apt. “I learned to cultivate irony very early on – explains -, I learned from my mom that there is a way to laugh or smile even in the most tragic moments in life. Let alone the beautiful ones. And then we wanted to focus on the side story: journalism is telling what others do not see, opening “the window to the world”, which is the title of a comic that I invented at the age of eight and which I found by chance in a drawer a few days ago”.
Most of the winning ideas of The Circle of the Rings come from his bag. For example, that of betting on the stories of some sportsmen who come from realities that are not simple or in any case not very comfortable like those of football champions: “Our goal was to go further, see who the families of these athletes are, explain their dignity and the sacrifices they make. Through these families we have revealed a piece of Italy that on a TV too busy arguing and screaming, little is said “.
Regular guests chapter: Sara Simeoni turned out to be an incredible volcano of sympathy. And to think that when she was contacted she thought she could get away with just one episode in the studio. “How long do I have to stay, an hour? Because I go to sleep early in the evening “, he told Alessandra that she immediately understood her potential. Like this “Has become a regular guest. She trusted me and I thank her for that. She is an intelligent, funny and very prepared woman “, underlines De Stefano.
Yuri Chechi also showed talent: prepared on the sporting side, very confident in his speech and intuitive on television times. “I’m proud because the intuition to call Yuri is 100% mine – says Alessandra – and he accepted: even if he had other proposals, he came because of the friendship that binds us. Yuri is very well prepared, he watches the whole sport and if I have a doubt about third place in weight lifting, I ask him and he knows him ”.
What is Alessandra’s best quality? “Knowing how to work as a team: I’m not the one who plays, it’s the formula that works and the formula is part of a vision”explains the journalist who then cites the name of the late Carrà from whom she learned a lot. “And then I learned to manage the rhythm: on TV it is fundamental and this was taught by Raffaella”.
Few know that Alessandra and the queen of tv they had excellent relationships. Indeed, they were really friends: “Yes, we have been very close to each other but I have always been a step behind because I think that the mystery around the great characters must be respected”.
When De Stefano is asked how she met her Carrà, the anecdote is as curious as it is funny: “Athe supermarket, four years ago. ‘I know this voice,’ he told me. I turned around and it was her. Incredible. She followed me because she loved cycling and sport in general, she was a huge fan of Filippo Ganna. A special friendship was born, I discovered a generous and courageous woman. I really miss”.
Alessandra then tells all the tips that her friend gave her starting from the one that was supposed to “remember that in the studio you have to be cold “. Reason? “She told me about Falqui who made her and Mina rehearse at low temperatures so that the halos on the clothes would not be seen. And then again: ‘Work on an uncomfortable session so you stay more focused’. Raffaella was the greatest of all, the lighthouse and I regret not having been able to work with her. Every now and then I listen to his vowels and I think that there is his hand behind what is happening to me “.
Criticism chapter, which in some respects were not lacking in relation to the live TV provided by Rai. Some races were not broadcast live. Furthermore, the service has not been made available streaming, as the state TV did not purchase the rights to broadcast it. “It was impossible to do more – holds De Stefano -, pbecause a single goal for 200 hours of competition and 50 disciplines is not enough. The calendars are made by those who pay for the rights and the calendar has penalized us. Were there any errors? Perhaps. Did you miss any races? Yes, but we brought it back after a minute. The only solution for the future is a multi-network project that guarantees the contemporaneity of events. But we should work on it right now ”.
As for the lack of streaming service, Alessandra declared that the new one to Rai Carlo Fuortes has assured her that he will undertake “to always provide for the purchase of web rights for sports competitions “. Then he adds: “And it is a strategic choice. We are talking about agreements that belong to the top management, not to Rai Sport. Of course, we regret not being able to see how many times we want the 100m final and the victory of Marcell Jacobs. “
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