AUDIOVISUAL SERVICES/PORTUGAL: REPORT SUGGESTS KEEPING TWO PUBLIC TV CHANNELS.

• Position: Brief Article

After suffering a serious financial crisis, the Portuguese public TV sector is due to continue to be based on two channels and be in receipt of advertising revenue alongside public funding, according to a report by a government-sponsored commission. The conclusions drawn by this report, which was published on October 24, tend to wrongfoot the centre right government's policies. The authorities announced last May they would like to see the demise of one of the RTP's main public service channels and a phasing out of advertising. The government created an independent commission (comprising media professionals) to consider the future of RTP, which is on the brink of bankruptcy with total liabilities of about Euro one billion. The report defends the right to exist for the non-specialist public service offering free-to-air broadcasts, "at least until the advent of terrestrial digital TV". This second in-the-clear TV channel is likely to be converted into an "alternative service accessible to civil society".

The commission members believe the state should provide for stable funding but...