Telco talks spring leak.(SMOKE & MIRRORS: BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE BIZ'S DEALS, DECISIONS AND DIVERSIONS)(Telecom Italia )(Brief article)

As corporate leaks go, the Italians are in a class by themselves.

Telecom Italia chairman Marco Tronchelti Provera got the surprise of his career last week when details about its negotiations with News Corp., Time Warner and GE landed in the press.

The source of the leak? Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi.

The PM, in a statement to reporters, divulged info about two closed-door meetings he held with Tronchetti Provera, who is trying to radically restructure the now-privatized Telecom Italia.

Prodi leaked details--including an assessment that News Corp. was keen to become a Telecom Italia minority …