Rai Radio 2 is an Italian public radio channel that mixes talk, humour and popular music, broadcast in Italian across the country on FM, DAB and satellite. It is one of the three main Rai radio networks, and you can hear it live on Radio Shuffle for free, wherever you are.
What Rai Radio 2 Plays and Says
Wikipedia's entry on Rai Radio 2 describes it as a station of talk programmes and popular music, aimed at a broad Italian audience with contemporary entertainment and discussion. Like sister channels Rai Radio 1 and Rai Radio 3, it has its own news division, the GR2, and it can be received nationwide through FM, DAB, digital terrestrial television and satellite. Among its best-known programmes are Il ruggito del coniglio, Caterpillar and 610.
Il Ruggito del Coniglio
The cult morning show Il Ruggito del Coniglio has been on air since 2 October 1995, hosted by Antonello Dose and Marco Presta, as summarised by Italian Wikipedia and radio industry site FM-World. Its recipe is simple: take the day's news, politics or lifestyle, then reinterpret it with irony, surreal gags and sharp dialogue, with listeners pulled into the conversation. Since 2010 it has also had a chamber version, Coniglio da camera, with a small audience in the studio.
A History That Starts in 1938
According to Wikipedia, the channel's roots go back to 21 March 1938, when EIAR launched a second radio service. It became known as the Secondo Programma in the early 1950s before evolving into Rai Radio 2 within the public broadcaster's radio family. Its most celebrated moments include the show Viva Radio2, hosted by comedian Fiorello with Marco Baldini, which helped define the channel's playful identity.
Why It Stands Out
Where Rai Radio 1 leans toward news and sport and Radio 3 toward culture and classical music, Radio 2 is the network for laughing and singing along. If you want to hear how Italians joke about their own headlines, or you are learning the language and want everyday spoken Italian rather than formal news, it is an excellent stream to keep on.
Listen to Rai Radio 2 Free on Radio Shuffle
Tune in to Rai Radio 2 on Radio Shuffle. No account, no app, no fee. Press play and hear Italy at its most playful.