“Weakening the public service? I totally refute the idea that there could be a project to weaken the public service,” argued the Minister of the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro, in statements to journalists at the Council of Ministers briefing this Thursday. Questioned about the request from RTP journalists for the suspension of the standardisation process of...
Leitão Amaro "totally refutes the idea that there could be a project to weaken RTP"
Thursday, 19 March 2026RSS
Context & Explainers
RTP (Rádio e Televisão de Portugal) is Portugal's public service broadcaster, operating television channels (RTP1, RTP2, RTP3, RTP Memória, RTP Internacional, RTP África), radio stations (Antena 1, Antena 2, Antena 3, RDP Internacional, RDP África), and the RTP Play streaming platform.
Founded in 1955 (television) and 1935 (radio, as Emissora Nacional), RTP is funded through a monthly audiovisual contribution (Contribuição para o Audiovisual, CAV) included in electricity bills, plus limited advertising revenue. It operates under a public service concession that mandates news independence, cultural programming, and coverage for Portuguese-speaking communities worldwide.
RTP plays a central role in Portuguese public life — it hosts the main political debates during elections, produces news programming, and broadcasts major national events. Its editorial independence and funding model are recurring subjects of political debate, with some parties advocating for privatization or restructuring of the public broadcaster.
