The founder of the radio giant retraces the adventure born at Capriccio di Arcene, up to the milestone of 6 million daily listeners.
Next year Lorenzo Suraci will celebrate 40 years at the helm of Rtl 102.5. Born in 1952, of Calabrian origins and a life spent in the far north, he left University in the Seventies to work alongside his uncle, a theatrical agent in his free time. The beginnings are those of a long apprenticeship, between books sold to support himself and orchestras to hire: «In life I have always been hungry, never sitting idle». As the firstborn, he says, he had to help the family: “I pulled the cart.” A professional choice that was not easy for his father to accept, who would have wanted him to be an engineer: “It was hard to make him understand that that too was a job.”
After the experience in organizing street parties in Calabria, Suraci opens the disco Arcene’s Whim together with the architect Giancarlo Tebaldi. «So we started and invented disco first and then radio», he recalls. In 1987 the decision to purchase a broadcaster came, in a radio landscape still characterized by overlapping frequencies and unstable signals. Suraci understands that the solution is to obtain a single frequency throughout the national territory: «I beat Italy far and wide to acquire the frequencies and it was the right move, the trigger for our success».
The single frequency route through Italy
The growth of Rtl 102.5 it also passes from the ability to innovate the contents and the relationship with the public. The broadcaster is among the first to experiment with radiovisionentering the homes of Italians, and focuses on information, entertainment and local news. «A radio close to the people, created with the contribution of our listeners», underlines Suraci, also recalling the success of the live broadcasts from Capriccio and Crazy Club, the night program. A formula that has contributed to consolidating the relationship with the public and bringing the broadcaster to the top of ratings.
Today, with over six million listeners a day, the challenge is to deal with the digital platforms and changes in public habits. «Our competition today is the digital world, which places itself on the market with the arrogance and strength of novelty», admits Suraci, who nevertheless remains optimistic about the future of radio. He continues to be present at the helm of the company, closely following the daily work: «I am very present. After all, this is how we built the radio. Day after day, experience after experience we invented a model.”
The daily value of 250 salaries
The greatest satisfaction remains that of guaranteeing work for its employees: «Paying all the wages at the end of the month 250 salaries». And he has no doubts about the possibility of stopping: «Never. I will stop when I go to the Creator, only then will it be over.”
