Italy's Senate approved a controversial bill to relax media ownership limits on Thursday which critics say favours Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's business empire.
After a drawn-out battle, Berlusconi's centre-right allies won approval of the law with a vote of 142 for, 91 against and one abstention.
There was fierce opposition from centre-left politicians as well as some newspaper editors and executives of state broadcaster RAI.
President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi must sign the bill within a month before it comes into force. Ciampi refused to sign the first version of the bill, saying it did not allow for enough competition in the sector.
Government supporters say the law breathes fresh life into the rigid media market, allowing the largely protected Italian industry to face foreign competition and setting a timetable for the roll-out of digital television.
But opponents say it favours private broadcaster Mediaset, top publisher Mondadori and Italy's leading film producer-distributor, which are all controlled by Berlusconi's family holding company Fininvest.
Berlusconi, through his political office and business interests, has influence over some 90 percent of Italian television.
The bill ensures that Mediaset's Rete 4 channel, which was threatened with being moved to satellite, will remain on terrestrial television, safeguarding its revenues.
It also gives Mediaset and Mondadori access to 2.0 billion euros ($2.38 billion) of extra revenues, the network's chairman has said.
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