Answers for request regarding the tv stations regulations in Portugal
1. How many TV channels are broadcasting throughout the whole country, a terrestrial digital
signal free of charge [for their end users/clients].
2. Please specify their commercial titles [i.e. SiC TV, ITV etc]
3. Which are their thematic contents [p.ex. Information / Shows / mixed content]
4. What are their respective ownership [public vs private tv channels]
A cess
TV Channels
RTP1
RTP2
Free-to air
(national)
SIC
TVI
RTP Madeira
Free-to air
(islands)
RTP Açores
RTP Internacional
RTP África
SIC Internacional
TVI Internacional
TVI África
Correio da Manhã TV
MOV
Canal Hollywood
Canal BLAST
Cinemundo
Non conditional
DStv Pipoca
programme
services subject Canal 180
to subscription Localvisão TV
A Bola TV
Sporting TV
Económico TV
SIC Radical
SIC Especial
SIC CARAS
TVI Reality
+ TVI
TVI Ficção
TV Channels under Portuguese Jurisdition
Types
Number (Types)
4
2
general
6
thematic cinema/series
5
thematic/cultural
thematic social/cultural
1
1
thematic sports
2
thematic/economics
1
thematic/entertainment
8
Coverage Area
Ownership
national
Public
national
national
Private
national
regional
regional
Public
international
national/international
international
international
international
national
national
national
national
national
international
national
Private
national
national
national
national
national
national
national
national
national
national
Canal Q
ZAP Viva
RTP Memória
SIC K
DStv Kids
Canal Panda
Panda Biggs
RTP 3
SIC Notícias
TVI 24
Porto Canal
RTV
SIC Mulher
MVM
MTV Portugal
ZAP Novelas
+ Novelas
SPORT TV1
SPORT TV2
SPORT TV3
SPORT TV 4
SPORT TV 5
SPORT TV África 1
SPORT TV África 2
Condition
program acess SPORT TV Américas
(premium
BTV 1
channels)
BTV 2
TVC1
TVC2
TVC3
TVC4
TV Séries
HOT TV
thematic/historical
1
thematic/children's youth
4
thematic/information
5
thematic/woman
1
thematic/music
2
thematic/soap operas and
series
2
8
thematic/sports
2
thematic cinema/series
5
thematic/adults
1
national
international
national
national
international
national
national
national
national
national
national
national
national
national
national
international
international
national
national
national
international
national
national
international
international
national
national
national
national
national
national
national
national
Public
Private
Public
Private
In the table above, you can find the answer to your first three questions. Right now we have four
generalist channels broadcasting in free-to-air for the entire national territory, two from public
sector and two from private initiative. However there are also two regional channels broadcasting
on Açores and Madeira islands, RTP Açores and RTP Madeira respectively.
The landscape of portuguese broadcasters are mostly constitute by thematic contents, 49
channels, particularly from entertainment, sports, series and movies. The other 12 are general
television programme services.
5.
How / in which ways the above channels earned the right to broadcast their respective
content?
For better understanding you can check the Law no. 27/2007 of 30 July and the first amendment
to Law no. 8/2007 of 14 February (Television and Audiovisual Services on Demand Law),
transposing Directive no. 2007/65 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11
December
The television activity is subject to licensing, granted by means of public tender to be launched
upon decision of the Government, where use is made of terrestrial spectrum designated to
broadcasting under the National Table of Frequency Allocations.
In the case of conditional access television programme services or non conditional television
programme services subject to subscription, two authorising documents will be granted pursuant
to said tender, one of which documents confers rights of use of the relevant radio frequencies or
groups of frequencies, and the other document in respect of the selection and aggregation of
television programme services to be provided by a distribution operator (article 13.º, Television
and Audiovisual Services on Demand Law).
It is incumbent upon Entidade Reguladora para a Comunicação Social (Regulatory Authority for
the Media) to grant, renew, amend or revoke licenses or authorisations for the television activity.
The television activity is subject to authorisation, upon the request of interested parties, where
such activity consists of the organisation of television programme services.
The authorising documents for the television activity will set out the obligations and conditions to
which programme services are subject, the classification of television programme services and
also the obligations and scheduling of the respective coverage (article 18.º, Television and
Audiovisual Services on Demand Law).
6.
What is the relevant payment for earning the right to broadcast? / How the broadcasting
rights are charged initially?
7.
What is the annual fee the tv channels are paying to the Portuguese State and against which
use [i.e. Levy for the Regulatory Authority / levy on the frequencies use etc].
On the following tables you can find the fees for the issuance of titles enablers for the exercise of television
activity, the regulatory oversight and annual fees.
Fee for issuance of qualifying documents (units account - €102)
Accounts
Documents for the television activity
Grant and renew licenses to national
programme television services
Grant and renew licenses to regional
programme television services
Grant and renew licenses to local
programme television services
Grant and renew licenses to media operators ,
whose business broadcaster not based on the
use of terrestrial spectrum
Total Ammount (€)
2809
286.518,00
449
45.798,00
112
11.424,00
281
28.662,00
Regulation and Supervision Fees for Television (units account - €102)
Type of Regulation
Accounts
Total Ammount (€)
High regulation
562
57.324
Media Regulation
148
15.096
It is subject to rate regulation and supervision all entities pursuing, under the jurisdiction of Portuguese
state, media activities, the quantitative rate being calculated in accordance with the category in which they
operate and to the subcategory the necessary regulatory intensity.
In the television category are integrated in subcategories in:
a) high - regulation of general program services with national coverage ;
b) medium- regulation of thematic program services with regional
or local coverage, as well
as international scope.
8.
How many employees are working in the specific tv channels. Which are their professional
backgrounds and their distribution according to their specialties and the company’s plan.
We don’t have the figures for the number of employees in each programme service, however if channels
have specific themes, like information or general program services shall have a person responsible for
providing guidance and supervision of broadcast contents. Every television programme service
which includes informative programming shall have a head of information. General and news
television programme services shall broadcast regular news services prepared by journalists.