Byoblu

Founded in 2007 as a website and YouTube channel by Claudio Messora, former musician and communication consultant of the Movimento 5 Stelle,^[6][7][8] dedicated to so-called alternative information issues,^[9] Byoblu was transformed into a company in 2019, into a regional newspaper and broadcaster in 2020, which went national in April 2021.^[6]

This last decision was taken following a sudden closure and deletion of his videos and contents from the YouTube platform that hosted him, due to accusations of scientific disinformation on the topic of COVID-19.^[10][11] Such channel had approximately half a million of registered users,^[12] to whom its founder then asked donations to be able to raise a sufficient amount to purchase a digital terrestrial channel, visible throughout the Italian territory.^[4][10]

Since then, Byoblu continues to be supported by the offers of voluntary contributors,^[13] stating that independence from financial giants can guarantee autonomy and freedom of information.^[14]

Byoblu is also a publishing house, which has published successful essays, including Heresia by Massimo Citro Della Riva,^[15][16][17] and in 2022 it also became a radio broadcaster.^[6] They also published some documentaries such as Io no, Capitano.^[18][19][20]

Byoblu has an online store with logistics and external warehouses that combine user purchases into a single shipping cost. The companies that offer their products in the online shop are the same ones that finance the short advertising breaks, which are broadcast by the television channel.^[21]

The televiewers themselves are invited to participate in the creation of the Byoblu broadcast programming, which includes newscasts, information programs on current affairs, culture, economics, history, science, spirituality, through proposals and suggestions,^[22] as for example in the program "È l'Ora della Verità".^[23]

Various in-depth topics are focused in particular on medicine and politics, with the aim of giving voice to people, events and news deemed underrepresented by the official or so-called mainstream media,^[24] also giving space to theses classified in general as anti-establishment.^[17]

Among the various journalists, intellectuals and experts who collaborate with the broadcaster, as authors of services and features, there are Francesco Borgonovo, host of the talk show "1984: escape plan", Fulvio Grimaldi, Mario Adinolfi, Diego Fusaro, Alessandro Meluzzi, Ermanno Bencivenga; other guests are Massimo Mazzucco, Ugo Mattei, Robert W. Malone, the silent Master Mason Mauro Biglino^[25] and others.^[26][27]

Web contents are released under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND license.

Byoblu declares to act with media and religious pluralism.^[28]

The TV intends to set up an association, which will have its own personal group of self-managed regional television networks, where members will be able to create the schedule and have a showcase for free and participatory discussion. Furthermore, the association will enter the so-called governance of the national television, with an annual general meeting in which the editorial line, the schedule and investment orientation will be discussed.^[29]

Revenue increased from 422 keuros in 2020 to 3.5 millions in 2022. In December 2023 Messora planned to transform Byoblu into a joint-stock company.^[30][31]

• Messora, Claudio (2021). Perucchietti, Enrica (ed.). Il disallineato. Milan: Rizzoli. ISBN 978-88-318-0580-3.

• "Official Site" (in Italian).
• "Byoblu classic" (in Italian).
• "Byoblu cerca di dare voce a chi non ne ha - La7 Attualità" on YouTube