Strasbourg, 14/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - The Parliamentary Assembly's Culture Committee of the Council of Europe has expressed its anxiety about the situation of the media in Italy. At the end of a meeting on Thursday in Paris it made the following statement, "The Committee is deeply concerned by the fact that the government is practically in control of all national TV channels. Inspite of promises made when he was elected last May, the Italian Prime Minister is still owner of three national private TV channels and of an important publishing group, and has not yet isolated himself from running his media interests. The Council Communiqué points out, "However, the committee notes that the five-member governing board of RAI, which administers three state-owned national TV channels, is led by a former President of the Constitutional Court and includes two representatives from the opposition parties. The committee supports the plea made by Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi for plurality and independence of the media as a vital element of democracy.