From the day of the announcement to the funeral, RTL 102.5 has accompanied the Italians in one of the most dramatic moments in recent history. From 21 to 27 April 2025, the first radio of Italy dedicated a whole week to the coverage of the death of Pope Francis, with constant updates, sent to the field and a radio marathon that began on Easter Monday, while millions of Italians were traveling.
In the studio from Milan, the director of the newspaper Ivana Faccioli and the chief editor Enrico Galletti coordinated a tireless story, with live connections from St. Peter’s Square entrusted to the envoys Paolo Pacchioni, Valentina Iannicelli, Ludovica Marafini and Francesco Fredella. The radio gave voice not only to the official chronicles, but also to the emotions of listeners, faithful, Vaticanist experts and directors of the main Italian newspapers.
The coverage also extended to social networks, where RTL 102.5 recorded impressive numbers: 34 million in total impression and 21 million videos displayed. The involvement rate exceeded 4%, with 6% peaks on Tiktok and a very high number of “taps back” on Instagram stories, a sign of intense and participatory attention.
The most solemn moment was April 26, the day of the funeral of Pope Francis. RTL 102.5 broadcast a special live from 6 in the morning until the afternoon: on the colonnade of St. Peter’s Square, Ivana Faccioli and Enrico Galletti told the last trip of the Pontiff, flanked in the square by the Senza Ludovica Marafini and Benedetta Mannucci. In the editorial offices of Rome and Milan, the whole team of the head and the social sector worked to guarantee complete and immediate coverage.
Once again, as has been happening for over twenty years, RTL 102.5 has shown that it is not only the soundtrack of those who travel and work, but also the voice of a country that, on the radio, continues to find a credible and punctual reference, capable of telling the story while it happens.
