The coordinator of BE accused this Friday the Government of “not having good intentions” for RTP, following the decision to progressively withdraw advertising on the public channel, and expressed concern about possible privatization.
“HE the fact that the Government cannot say what it wants to dounable to say whether or not it will compensate RTP for the revenue it will lose thanks to advertising, shows that you don’t have good intentions. Because if he had good intentions, he would show them, something he does not do, and that is why it obviously leaves enormous concerns for all those who defend the public interest and RTP,” defended Mariana Mortágua.
The leader of the bloc spoke to journalists after meeting with the unions representing RTP workers about the Government’s plan for the media, which provides for the gradual end of advertising on RTP, over the next three years, until 2027 , pointing out that this must be compensated with promotional spaces and cultural events.
“What is the Government’s plan for RTP? Why does the Government make this decision to withdraw advertising revenue from RTP, at this time, without even guaranteeing economic compensation for this reduction in advertising revenue?” asked Mariana Mortágua.
In a “less bad” scenario, he continued, the Government “will hand over RTP advertising revenue to private parties, whether private television channels, in this case the competition, or digital platforms, such as Google and other digital services, and will compensate RTP and Therefore, it will be money from the state budget and taxpayers that will be given to the private sector through the transfer of advertising, because then RTP will have to be compensated.”
“The worst case scenario is privatization. Of the two, one: o the Government is using public money to transfer income through advertising to individualswhich leaves RTP to move to the private sector, Or do you even want to privatize RTP?. None of these scenarios are good,” he considered.
Mariana Mortágua maintained that “The public radio and television service is essential for the country.” and an “essential factor” of sovereignty, of cultural development, remembering that “RTP finances a part of cultural production in Portugal, guarantees that it is a service that reaches everyone” and in the covid-19 pandemic “it guaranteed the school for those who had to stay at home.”
The blockade coordinator accused the PSD of having “a past of attacking RTP” and stressed that “the interest of private competitors cannot be worth more than the public interest of RTP.”
For the RTP unions, Fernando Andrade reinforced his discontent with the end of advertising in RTP, “because this will greatly weaken the public service.”
“It is important to have advertising, because with this money we can support private companies. For example, last year and this year we already purchased services from the SIC group worth around half a million euros. And, therefore, if these values are going to be taken away from us, we will be limited in being able to acquire services from these private entities. I want to remember here, and here once again I am going to talk about SIC, because it is curious that at the SIC Golden Globes there were several awards that mentioned that people were there because RTP supported these projects,” he highlighted.
Asked if he expects the parties to take any legislative initiative to change the Government’s proposal in parliament, Fernando Andrade said he hopes so, “for the good of democracy.”
“I remember that RTP has received some awards, including international ones.and that is why it is important to maintain the possibility of RTP having money to be able to work freely and democratically, to maintain this free journalism, to maintain society in a healthy democracy,” he stated.
Source: Observadora
