Cue the Mandolins: New Law Would Put More Italian Songs on Radio

(Bloomberg) -- Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars may face some stiff competition on the Italian airwaves, if a League party lawmaker gets his way.

National radio stations would have to play more Italian music under a proposal by League party lawmaker Alessandro Morelli, Ansa news agency reports. At least one-third of all songs would have to be from an Italian singer or songwriter, according to Ansa.

At least 10 percent of songs would have to be from young artists and minor labels, according to the report. Support for local music needs to be as wide-ranging as possible, Morelli was quoted as saying. The proposed legislation is still in a preliminary stage.

The rightist League party, which governs in a contentious coalition with the anti-establishment Five Star Movement, has made headlines by trying to keep migrants out of the country, thumbing its nose at neighboring France and asserting the primacy of Italian values.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jerrold Colten in Milan at jcolten@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Sonali Pathirana at spathirana@bloomberg.net, Kevin Costelloe, Ross Larsen

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