Rádio e Televisão de Portugal
Encyclopedia
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
's public service broadcasting
Public broadcasting
Public broadcasting includes radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing.Public broadcasting may be...
organization. It operates four terrestrial television channels and three national radio channels, as well as several satellite and cable offerings.
RTP is a state-owned corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
funded by television advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
revenues, government grants, and the taxa de contribuição audiovisual (broadcasting contribution tax), which is incorporated in electricity bills.
History
The Emissora Nacional de Radiodifusão (ENR) was established on 4 August 1935 as the public national radio broadcaster, inheriting the previous broadcasting operations of the national postal service, Correios, Telégrafos e TelefonesCTT
thumb|200px|right|A CTT mail delivery vehiclethumb|200px|right|A CTT traditional mail boxCTT Correios de Portugal, S.A.—meaning Postal Services of Portugal, plc—is the national postal service of Portugal. The acronym CTT comes from Correios, Telégrafos e Telefones—Post, Telegraph and Telephone—the...
(CTT). Five years later, ENR became independent of the CTT.
ENR was one of the 23 founding broadcasting organizations of the European Broadcasting Union
European Broadcasting Union
The European Broadcasting Union is a confederation of 74 broadcasting organisations from 56 countries, and 49 associate broadcasters from a further 25...
in 1950. Following the Carnation Revolution
Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
, ENR was reorganized and in 1976 changed its name to Radiodifusão Portuguesa (RDP). During this process, several previously private radio stations – such as Rádio Clube Português (RCP) – were nationalized
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
and integrated into RDP.
In 1979, the RCP network was rebranded as Rádio Comercial
Rádio Comercial
Rádio Comercial is a commercial radio station in Portugal aimed at young and adult people. It has a broad format including contemporary, pop and rock music. It is among the most listened radio stations in the country.-History:...
, and was later privatized in 1993. At the same time, RDP launched the youth-oriented radio station Antena 3
RDP Antena 3
Antena 3 is one of the three national radio channels produced by the Portuguese public broadcasting entity Rádio e Televisão de Portugal, the others being Antena 1 and Antena 2....
and abolished advertising from all of its stations, so that the aforementioned broadcasting contribution tax became its sole source of funding.
Radiotelevisão Portuguesa's television service was established on 15 December 1955. Experimental broadcasts began in 1956 from the Feira Popular studios in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. Regular broadcasting, however, did not start until 7 March 1957, by which time coverage had reached approximately 65% of the Portuguese population. RTP was accepted as a full active member of the EBU in 1959. By the mid-1960s, RTP had become available throughout the country. Robert Farnon
Robert Farnon
Robert Joseph Farnon was a Canadian-born composer, conductor, musical arranger and trumpet player. As well as being a famous composer of original works , he was recognised as one of the finest arrangers of his generation...
's "Derby Day" was extensively used as RTP's fanfare to open the programming since the very first day, and over the decades it has become RTP's official anthem.
25 December 1968 saw the opening of a second television channel, RTP2. Two new regional channels were created in 1972, for the Portuguese archipelagos of Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
(opening on 6 August) and the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
(10 August), and colour broadcasts began on 7 March 1977.
Before the Carnation Revolution, RTP was essentially a mouthpiece of the regime, and famously opened the newscast of 20 July 1969 - the day of the first moon landing
Apollo 11
In early 1969, Bill Anders accepted a job with the National Space Council effective in August 1969 and announced his retirement as an astronaut. At that point Ken Mattingly was moved from the support crew into parallel training with Anders as backup Command Module Pilot in case Apollo 11 was...
- with a segment showing president Américo Thomaz
Américo Thomaz
Américo de Deus Rodrigues Tomás, GCC, GOA, GOSE , archaic spelling: Américo Thomaz, was a Portuguese admiral and politician.-Career:Tomás became minister of the Navy in 1944...
opening a concrete factory. However, like many other broadcasters, it did broadcast live the landing of the man on the moon during the night.
The first Colour Broadcast was made in 1975, with the live coverage of the first parliamentary elections after the carnation revolution. But, due to the political turmoil and the economical situation of the country, the colour regular broadcast was delayed several times for nearly 5 years. During that time RTP started to purchase some colour equipment and make the occasional colour recording. But the pressure kept going as the black and white equipment was getting old and very hard to repair, so in 1978 and 1979 a massive investiment supported by a foreign loan, gave RTP the opportunity to replace all the B/W to increase the current amount of equipment and to be updated with the most advanced broadcast technologies available at the time. Despite this, only in February 1980, the government finally authorised the regular colour broadcast and 2 weeks after, on the 7th of March RTP started the regular colour broadcast, with more than 70% of the programmes being already in colour. Also, RTP moved its headquarters to a brand new building. The building was originally built to be converted to a hotel, but the ownwer decided to leave it untouched and reached an agreement with RTP for the purchase and converted the interior for office use. RTP moved to more adequate headquarters and sold the building in 2003 and the new owner converted into what is today the VIP Grand Lisboa.
Until 1991, RTP owned its transmitter network, which was transferred to a state-owned enterprise which, through a series of mergers, became part of Portugal Telecom
Portugal Telecom
Portugal Telecom is the largest telecommunications service provider in Portugal. Although it operates mainly in Portugal and Brazil, it has also a significant presence in Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Timor-Leste, Angola, Kenya, the People's Republic of China, and São Tomé and...
. RTP held the television monopoly until 1992, the year when the private SIC
SIC (Portugal)
SIC - Sociedade Independente de Comunicação is a Portuguese television network and media company, which runs several television channels. Their flagship channel is the eponymous SIC, the third terrestrial television station in Portugal, launched on October 6, 1992...
started broadcasting. Over the years, RTP's audience share has constantly reduced in favour of the private channels. 2007 was an exception to this tendency, and RTP1 became the second channel most watched in Portugal, only behind TVI.
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. In the same year, the second channel was rebranded as '2:', promoting itself as the civil society
Civil society
Civil society is composed of the totality of many voluntary social relationships, civic and social organizations, and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society, as distinct from the force-backed structures of a state , the commercial institutions of the market, and private criminal...
service. Later in March 2007, 2: became 'RTP2' again.
Currently, RTP is celebrating its 50 years of television broadcasting, as well as planning the launch of two new television channels on the future DTT
Digital terrestrial television
Digital terrestrial television is the technological evolution of broadcast television and advance from analog television, which broadcasts land-based signals...
platform. One channel will be devoted to knowledge, and the other will focus on children's programming.
RTP has 16 regional offices spread all over the country, as well as international bureaus in Washington D.C., Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and several other locations.
RTP aired the 2008 Olympic Games in HD through the ZON TV Cabo satellite and cable platform. In 30 September 2009, RTP 1 HD returned in an experimental broadcast.
Television channels
- RTP1 is the oldest of RTP's channels and also the flagship of RTP. It features general programming, such as news, talk shows, current affairs, drama, national and international movies and TV series.a, b;
- RTP2 is the main channel for cultural and factual programming, as well as children's programming.a, b;
- RTP InternacionalRTP InternacionalRTP Internacional is the international television service of Rádio e Televisão de Portugal, the Portuguese public broadcaster...
or RTPi is the international television service. In MacauMacauMacau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
and East TimorEast TimorThe Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
, it is retransmitted locally, together with local programming c; - RTP ÁfricaRTP ÁfricaRTP África is a terrestrial television channel for the Portuguese-speaking African countries owned by RTP with programming from Portuguese public and private television channels and African public networks, RTP África also airs its own news, food and music TV shows...
, another international television service directed towards the African communities. In AngolaAngolaAngola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, MozambiqueMozambiqueMozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, Cape VerdeCape VerdeThe Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
, Guinea-BissauGuinea-BissauThe Republic of Guinea-Bissau is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Senegal to the north, and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west....
and São Tomé e Príncipe it is retransmitted locally, together with local programming b d; - RTP AçoresRTP AçoresRTP Açores is a Portuguese regional television channel operated by the Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. It is broadcast in the Azores. It started broadcasting on August 10, 1975....
, a regional opt-out channel broadcast in the AzoresAzoresThe Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
Islands; - RTP MadeiraRTP MadeiraRTP Madeira is a regional Portuguese television channel operated by the Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. It is broadcast in the Madeira Islands and via cable and satellite in the Azores Islands. RTP Madeira serves as a regional opt-out to the national public television channel, RTP1.RTP Madeira...
, a regional opt-out channel broadcast in the MadeiraMadeiraMadeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
Islands; - RTP Informação is the 24 hour news channel b;
- RTP MemóriaRTP MemóriaRTP Memória is a Portuguese television channel that airs mainly classic Radiotelevisão Portuguesa programming and foreign entertainment programming...
("RTP Memory"), broadcasts classic RTP and International shows b; - RTP HDRTP HDRTP HD is RTP's HDTV channel. In 2008 it broadcast the 2008 Summer Olympics in HD on ZON's cable and satellite platforms. It is also marketed as RTP1 HD, when broadcasting RTP1 programming.- Sports :* UEFA Champions League...
, a High DefinitionHigh-definition televisionHigh-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
testing channel which aired the 2008 Olympics. It was launched in 30 September 2009, as a test channel on ZON's cable and satellite platforms, on channel 12, debuting with the UEFA Champions League game, FC Porto against Atlético Madrid.b; - RTP Mobile, is a channel adapted to mobile devices.
a Terrestrial channel available nationwide.
b Available on the Portuguese cable, satellite and IPTV platforms.
c Available worldwide on satellite and cable platforms.
d Available in several African countries on satellite and cable platforms.
Radio stations
- RDP Antena 1RDP Antena 1Antena 1 is one of the three national radio channels produced by the Portuguese public broadcasting entity Rádio e Televisão de Portugal, the others being Antena 2 and Antena 3....
, news, talk and sports station with a strong focus on Portuguese music a b; - RDP Antena 2RDP Antena 2Antena 2 is one of the three national radio channels produced by the Portuguese public broadcasting entity Rádio e Televisão de Portugal, the others being Antena 1 and Antena 3....
, cultural programming, classical and world music, featuring live performances a; - RDP Antena 3RDP Antena 3Antena 3 is one of the three national radio channels produced by the Portuguese public broadcasting entity Rádio e Televisão de Portugal, the others being Antena 1 and Antena 2....
, an up-tempo, youth-oriented station with focus on contemporary and alternative music a; - RDP InternacionalRDP InternacionalRDP Internacional - Rádio Portugal , is an international radio broadcasting station of Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. It aims at overseas Portuguese communities in Europe, Africa, South America, North America, India/Middle East as well as East Timor.RDPi is available worldwide via satellite and...
, the international radio service c; - RDP ÁfricaRDP ÁfricaRDP África is a terrestrial radio station owned by Rádio e Televisão de Portugal for the Lusophone African countries with programming of songs of Lusophone African music, as well as of Portuguese music and Brazilian music, with update reports from Lusophone African recording world.The station...
, programming directed towards the Portuguese-speaking African communities a; - Rádio Lusitania, a digital-only station with focus on Portuguese music;
a Available nationwide on FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
, DAB
Digital audio broadcasting
Digital Audio Broadcasting is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB format....
and internet.
b Also available on AM
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
.
c Available on shortwave
Shortwave
Shortwave radio refers to the upper MF and all of the HF portion of the radio spectrum, between 1,800–30,000 kHz. Shortwave radio received its name because the wavelengths in this band are shorter than 200 m which marked the original upper limit of the medium frequency band first used...
and satellite
Satellite radio
Satellite radio is an analogue or digital radio signal that is relayed through one or more satellites and thus can be received in a much wider geographical area than terrestrial FM radio stations...
all over the world.
- Rádio Vivace, a digital-only station with focus on classical music;
- RDP Antena 3 Rock, a digital-only station with focus on rock music;
- RDP Antena 3 Dance, a digital-only station with focus on dance music.
The following stations are Antena 1 regional stations:
News services
- Bom Dia Portugal (07-10 am), live from the LisbonLisbonLisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
studios; - Jornal da Tarde (1 pm), live from the PortoPortoPorto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes...
studios; - Portugal em Directo (6 pm), live from the LisbonLisbonLisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
studios; - Telejornal (8 pm), live from the LisbonLisbonLisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
studios.
RTP2's only news service is Hoje ("Today", in english) (7 pm and 10 pm), a more short and objective newscast than the RTP1 ones.
RTP Informação (TV channel) features hourly news updates and headlines.
Chairmen of the board
- Almerindo Marques, 2002 –2008
- Guilherme Costa, 2008 – present
Programming directors of RTP1
- Nuno Santos, 2002 –2007
- José Fragoso, 2008 – 2011
Programming directors of RTP2
- Manuel Falcão, 2003 –2006
- Jorge Wemans, 2006 – present
See also
- List of Portuguese language television channels
- Festival da Canção
- Television in PortugalTelevision in PortugalTelevision in Portugal was introduced in 1956 by Radiotelevisão Portuguesa , which held the nation-wide television monopoly until late 1992. Regular broadcasting was introduced on March 7, 1957...
- Digital television in Portugal
- Sociedade Independente de Comunicação
- Televisão Independente