MTV Italia is one step closer to being forced off the air following the October 6 announcement by the Italian telecommunications authority that home shopping channel H.O.T. Italia fulfills ownership requirements allowing it to hold Italy’s eighth and final free-to-air terrestrial television license. The authority has ruled that Rete Mia is 51 per cent controlled by European partners – Hot Europe, while the remaining 49 per cent is held by non EU nationals (Home Shopping Network and SBS). However, the Authority also issued a formal warning to Rete Mia’s shareholders not to transfer the control of the channel to the American shareholders, since such an attempt would bring about the immediate cessation of the broadcast license. The future of MTV’s highly successful Italian operation has been in danger since the authority this year reduced the number of terrestrial TV licenses to eight from nine. Since then, Rete A, through which MTV Italia is aired 24 hours a day, and Rete Mia, which will carry H.O.T. Italia , have fought to retain licenses that give them access to millions of Italian TV homes.