EBU welcomes move to shelve privatisation of RTP

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has welcomed a move to shelve the privatisation of its Portuguese member RTP, as Portuguese Deputy Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Miguel Relvas revealed on RTP1’s Telejornal news programme last week that the unpopular privatisation plan would not go ahead for the time being.

Portuguese media were today reporting that more than 600 of RTP’s 2,069 staff , a third of the total could be cut over the next two years under what Relvas called an “ambitious, demanding, painful” restructure. The EBU has commented about the move, urging Lisbon to prioritise the quality of the broadcaster’s output in its planned restructure.

EBU Director General Ingrid Deltenre, who last September described privatisation of Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP) as “reckless”, said the government must protect the public broadcaster’s ability to serve the Portuguese public.

“Efficiency savings are a necessary evil in many countries, and many EBU Members are facing financial difficulties,” Ms Deltenre said. “But when times are hard people turn more than ever to their public service broadcaster for reliable, quality information and news.”

RTP’s Executive Board has affirmed its commitment to becoming “a good example of public service” but also said that from 2014, it will no longer receive state subsidies but will be funded solely from the audiovisual fee levied via electricity bills, plus advertising.

www.ebu.ch