RTP Internacional (RTPi) is a Portuguese
free-to-air
Free-to-air (FTA) services are television (TV) and radio services broadcast in unencrypted form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscripti ...
television channel owned and operated by state-owned
public broadcaster
Public broadcasting involves radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing ...
Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP). It is the company's
international
International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations".
International may also refer to:
Music Albums
* ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011
* ''International'' (New Order album), 2002
* ''International'' (The T ...
television service, and is known for broadcasting a mix of programming from other RTP's channels, together with special ''Contacto'' programmes aimed at Portuguese communities in Europe, Africa, the Americas, as well as
Macao and East Timor.
History
It first started broadcasting via
satellite
A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioi ...
in Europe on 10 June 1992 (
Portugal Day
)
, type = National holiday
, longtype = National Day
, image = EstatuaCamoesLisboa.JPG
, caption = Monument to Luís de Camões in Lisbon, Portugal (May 2005)
, official_name = ''Dia de Portugal, de Camões e das Comu ...
). It soon expanded into Africa, where it reached audiences in
Portuguese-speaking
Lusophones ( pt, Lusófonos) are peoples that speak Portuguese as a native or as common second language and nations where Portuguese features prominently in society. Comprising an estimated 270 million people spread across 10 sovereign countries ...
countries, as well as Canada, United States, Brazil and into Asia. It is also available on the Internet, via a subscription to the service
JumpTV or with Octoshape.
On 7 January 1998, RTPi ceased terrestrial broadcasting to Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa, and was replaced by a new separate service, called
RTP África, which was available as a terrestrial TV service in some countries, as well as being available via satellite, but RTPi continues to broadcast in Angola and Mozambique. RTPi is carried by satellite television services across Africa in various countries such as South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
RTPi programming is also retransmitted by
Teledifusão de Macau
TDM - Teledifusão de Macau, S. A. (TDM; ; en, Macau Broadcasting) provides public broadcasting services in Macau. By running five digital terrestrial television channels, one satellite television channel and two radio channels, TDM provides ...
(TdM) in
Macao, and by
Televisão Timor Leste (TVTL) in East Timor, together with local broadcasts. In March 2005 it began 'time-shifting' its programming, with three separate schedules for
the Americas, Europe, and Asia, so that viewers in different time zones could watch programmes at more convenient times.
In 2017, the TV and radio service – RTP Internacional and RDP, respectively – of RTP, as well as the Portuguese news agency Lusa, were suspended from operating in Guinea-Bissau. The measure was announced by Bissau-Guinean minister for the media, Vítor Pereira. He justified the decision with end of the contracts with RTP and Lusa. The Portuguese government considered the decision to be "unacceptable" and an "attack on freedom of expression, while
Reporters Without Borders condemned that same decision. Lusa was eventually allowed to operate in the country, but RTP Internacional and RDP were not.
Distribution
RTP Internacional is available across all of North America for
free via
Galaxy 19
Galaxy 19 is a communications satellite owned by Intelsat located at 97° West longitude, serving the North American market. Galaxy 19 replaced Galaxy 25 which is nearing the end of its design life and has been moved to 93.1°W longitude. It was ...
and
Intelsat 805.
It is also available as a pay service via
Dish Network in the United States and
Rogers Cable and NexTV (IPTV Platform) in Canada.
For years, the channel was carried in Australia and New Zealand via
UBI World TV
Subscription television in Australia is provided using technologies such as cable television, satellite television and internet television by a number of companies unified in their provision of a subscription television service. Notable actors i ...
. In 2013, RTP Internacional returned to these countries via Luso Vision, which focuses on Portuguese, Brazilian and Chilean programming.
References
External links
*
RTP Internacional Live Stream on RTP Play
{{Authority control
Cable television in the United States
International broadcasters
Television channels in Angola
Television channels in Mozambique
Television stations in China
Television stations in Spain
Television stations in East Timor
Television stations in Portugal
Portuguese-language television stations
Mass media in Macau
Television channels and stations established in 1992
Rádio e Televisão de Portugal