Rome
Italian state television abruptly canceled a talk-show appearance by Monica Lewinsky this week after she had already arrived in Italy. Lewinsky, who was to appear on the Sunday show Domenica In to prattle about her experiences as the mistress who brought down the Clinton presidency, would have been reimbursed for her airfare and hotel expenses. Politicians from Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s right-wing government, which wields immense control over television content, suggested that it was improper to spend taxpayer money on such a guest. “We have prevented Italian families from watching something that is unnecessary and not very edifying on a Sunday afternoon,” said Antonio Baldassarre, chairman of RAI television.
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