RTP President recalls that funding has been "frozen since 2016"
The president of RTP recalled today that the public broadcaster's funding has been "frozen since 2016", it has a public service mission and eight television channels and seven radio channels and that is what "public money is for".
![RTP President recalls that funding has been "frozen since 2016"](https://media-manager.noticiasaominuto.com/960/38884125.jpg)
© Lusa
![Notícias ao Minuto](https://cdn.noticiasaominuto.com/img/equipa/pessoa/lusa.png)
País RTP
"The funding of RTP, which bothers many sector analysts, has been frozen since 2016 and RTP has a public service mission that includes the existence of eight television channels and seven radio channels and to make the daily production" of these "money is needed and that is what public money is for", said Nicolau Santos, in the State of the Nation of the Media debate, within the scope of the 33rd Communications Congress, which ends today in Lisbon.
The concession contract "has to be renewed by the new Government" and it will decide whether RTP should do less, continue with what it does or eventually have more obligations, he said, that is, "everything is up in the air".
Nicolau Santos "totally rejected the idea" that RTP creates difficulties for private operators in the scope of advertising competition, also because "it starts behind", since it has a limit.
During his speech, Nicolau Santos listed the various commitments that RTP has towards private operators.
The entry of a new cable news channel operator "comes to dispute the attention of audiences and creates challenges" that can be opportunities or crisis factors.
About the sector, he stressed that it is necessary "to recognize first that there is a serious crisis in the media sector in Portugal".
A "serious sustainability crisis" and "various threats that can further jeopardize this sustainability. If this is the case and if it is understood that the existence of a free, plural press is fundamental and one of the pillars of Portuguese democracy", then "the State" has to support "the private sector in Portugal", he considered.
Nicolau Santos also spoke about 'streaming' platforms, considering that there is no "capacity to negotiate" with them in which the result "comes to the side" of the media companies. For example, "we had the Rabo de Peixe series on Netflix and we didn't get millions from it", he concluded.
The option "has to be at the level of community bodies with the support of European governments" and a tough and direct negotiation so that these large platforms, which are mostly of North American origin, reward European content producers.
He reiterated the idea that if television operators joined forces they would have more strength in 'streaming'".
Read Also: RTP asks EBU for explanations for delay in the disclosure of Iolanda's performance (Portuguese version)
Descarregue a nossa App gratuita.
Oitavo ano consecutivo Escolha do Consumidor para Imprensa Online e eleito o produto do ano 2024.
* Estudo da e Netsonda, nov. e dez. 2023 produtodoano- pt.com