Lucia Annunziata says she is an independent choice

One of the country's leading journalists, Lucia Annunziata, was chosen for the job a day after a prominent colleague turned it down, citing "political difficulties".

RAI's board resigned last month amid accusations it was under the influence of Mr Berlusconi.

The prime minister controls large parts of Italy's press, TV and radio, and has been accused of conflict of interest between his public and business roles.

The BBC's David Willey in Rome says Italy's state broadcaster, funded partly by licence fees and partly by advertising, has always been highly politicised, and top jobs are traditionally awarded to supporters of whoever happens to be in government.

Newspaper background

Observers say the choice of Ms Annunziata, who started her career at a Communist newspaper, is an attempt to placate those who have accused RAI of being under Mr Berlusconi's influence.

"I accepted the job in complete independence," said Ms Annunziata, adding that she had sounded out "neither the government nor the opposition".

Ms Annunziata, currently the head of Italian news agency Ap.Biscom, is a former head of news at one of RAI's television networks. She has spent most of her career in newspapers, working as a foreign correspondent for moderate Corriere della Sera and the left-leaning La Repubblica.

The man who turned down the RAI job on Wednesday, the left-wing Jewish journalist Paolo Mieli, had faced political attacks from the right, as well as anti-Semitic antagonism.

Over the weekend, anti-Semitic graffiti was on the front of RAI's Milan headquarters, together with the insignia of a neo-fascist group.