Can this plan save Portuguese media?
Portugal's media are in the midst of a severe financial crisis. The liberal-conservative government under Prime Minister Luís Montenegro has now proposed a rescue plan, including major restrictions on advertising on public broadcaster RTP, which is to be restructured and streamlined through cutbacks. The national press discusses the proposals.
Bold steps in the right direction
Correio da Manhã applauds:
“The mere fact that there is a plan is good news. Perhaps because this is a politically sensitive sector, most governments have shied away from tackling the issue. The plan includes measures to promote employment in the media, incentives for technical retraining and also some proposals for combating disinformation. But it also includes something more: the end of advertising on RTP, even if it's not for another three years, is a bold step that will benefit public television itself, giving it a strong incentive to improve and rationalise its often inefficient and wasteful operations.”
Cultural and regional diversity under threat
The ruling liberal-conservative PSD has always dreamt of privatising public broadcasting, Público warns:
“Prime Minister Montenegro has opted for a softer approach that appeals to private television operators, but which in the long run could undermine values such as representation of all regions and cultural diversity. However, in the interest of fairness it must be said that the government is showing a willingness to act where previously there was inactivity, recognising that it has to do something to address the severe crisis in one of the 'pillars of democracy'.”