State broadcaster RAI breathed a sigh of relief Wednesday after the first night of the Sanremo songfest reversed a chronic downward trend in viewing figures.
The curtain opener of Italy's biggest music event managed to pull in almost 48% of audience share, compared to only 35.5% in 2008.
RAI executives had threatened to bin coverage of the event if its audience share did not improve this time around.
An average of 10.1 million watched Tuesday's three-hour opener, with 12.89 million tuning in at the start to watch a video performance by reclusive Italian idol Mina singing the Nessun Dorma aria from Puccini's Turandot.
The programme peaked at 15.36 million during a live appearance by Oscar-winning comic-actor-director and national treasure Roberto Benigni.
The draw of Mina and Benigni was unable to repeat the first night figures for 2005, which pulled in an average of 54.8% of share, but was sufficient to stifle grumbles about the event's future.
''The first evening's results first of all confirm the wisdom of the organisers' choices and show that the Sanremo Festival is still loved and followed by the public,'' said RAI Director-General Claudio Cappon, adding that he was ''cautiously optimistic'' about viewing figures as the event continues over the next four evenings.
RAI Uno director Fabrizio Del Noce, who had warned Monday it was crunch time for the songfest, described the viewing figures as ''more than comforting''.
This year's artistic director and presenter, Paolo Bonolis, was congratulated by Cappon for the first evening's success but denied being the event's ''saviour''.
''I think this festival has enormous possibilities,'' he said.
