Advertising on RTP will continue. Opposition doesn’t want “American-style” TV, AD talks about boycott

The measure went to a vote again and the government lost: the majority of Parliament says no to the end of advertising on public television, so that it does not become “tiny and American-style”, but AD says it never wanted to cut funding.

The measure that halts the AD’s proposal to end advertising on the state channel was already approved on the 22nd of this month, but went to vote again this Tuesday.

The result remained: all parties, except the AD, are against the proposal. In justifying the measure, the Left Bloc — which proposed it —, cited by Lusa, highlighted that the Government must guarantee the necessary investment in RTPboth on television and radio, “to overcome its chronic underfunding”.

This Tuesday, however, the AD assured in a discussion session of the OE (that the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs himself, Pedro Duartehighlighted that it was not directly related to the topic), which It was never your intention to cut funding of the television channel.

On the PSD side, cited by , the deputy Ricardo Araújo accuses the opposition of “alarming the country”: AD does not want to privatize or make layoffs. “The Government wants to modernize RTP”he guarantees, also criticizing the “negative coalition of oppositions” that “boycotted” the Government’s plan.

Pedro Duarte even used BBC English TV as an example of cutting advertising: “There is no advertising anywhere, but now it is the sacred cow of the system.”

João Almeidafrom the CDS, said that this measure is not an “eccentricity” of this Government and that it is not “legitimate” to bring this topic to the OE debate.

But these arguments did not deter the other parties: “The Government is isolated because he was unable to explain to the country this brilliant opportunity for RTP to lose funding”, he said Joana Mortágua, from BE. He pointed out that there are even members of the AD who disagree with the suppression of advertising, as is the case of Leonor Beleza.

The deputy also accused the Government of insisting on this measure to “please private media groups” and to want to “decapitalize RTP”.

Mara Lagriminha, of the PS, accused the government of wanting a “small, American-style” public service, and recalled the PS’s proposal that suggests a reduction of advertising that does not reach 50%.

BE ended the discussion by questioning Pedro Duarte: will he comply with Parliament’s decision? The answer didn’t exist — the minister only asked the left to “put its hand on its conscience”.