2015–2025: What Has Changed in Portugal’s Public Service Media Concession Contract

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34629/cpublica.934

Keywords:

Public Service Media, Concession Contract, RTP

Abstract

This article analyses the evolution of the Public Service Media (PSM) Concession Contract in Portugal between 2015 and 2025. It highlights key changes introduced in the new contract signed in March 2025, notably the shift from a radio- and television-specific model to an integrated PSM approach that includes digital platforms and on-demand services. The change is contextualised within European digital transformation strategies. The analysis points to a reinforced public mission, greater territorial cohesion, inclusion, and media literacy, alongside a focus on technological innovation and editorial flexibility. The article concludes that the new contract aligns with international best practices, promoting a more autonomous, accountable, and citizen-oriented public service fit for the digital age.

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Author Biographies

  • Felisbela Lopes, ICS-Universidade do Minho

    She holds a PhD in Communication Sciences from the University of Minho (2005) and is an Associate Professor with Habilitation at the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Minho. Between 2009 and 2014, she served as Pro-Rector for Communication there.

    Since 1994, she has taught courses related to the field of Journalism. Her research areas include television news, focusing on public service media; health communication and journalism; and political journalism, focusing on media coverage of the Presidency of the Portuguese Republic. She was the principal investigator of two research projects funded by the FCT: “Illness in the News” and “Television Journalism and Citizenship: The Challenges of the Public Sphere in the Digital Age”.

    She is the author of several books, including *Marcelo, President Every Day* (Porto Editora, 2019); *Journalist: A Threatened Profession* (Alêtheia, 2015); Twenty Years of Private TV in Portugal (Guerra e Paz Publisher, 2012); The TV of Reality (Minerva, 2008); The TV of the Elites (Campo das Letras, 2007).

    He is a resident commentator for RTP on communication issues. He is a weekly columnist for Jornal de Notícias and a monthly columnist for Correio do Minho.

  • Clara Almeida Santos, Faculty of Arts, University of Coimbra

    Clara Almeida Santos is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Coimbra (UC). She was Vice-Rector of UC between 2011 and 2018. She founded and directed UCV – UC Web Television. A journalist by training, she worked at CNL and SIC. She was editor and deputy director of the magazine Rua Larga (UC). She participated in European projects related to gender equality and diversity and media. She co-authored the White Paper for Public Media Services. Her main academic interests are digital media, communication and networks, image and communication, media representations and storytelling.

References

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Published

2025-12-15

Issue

Vol. 20 No. 39 (2025): Number with Special Issue

Section

Special Issue: Public Service Media and Innovation

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Copyright (c) 2025 Direitos do Autor (c) 2025

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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How to Cite

2015–2025: What Has Changed in Portugal’s Public Service Media Concession Contract. (2025). Comunicação Pública, 20(39). https://doi.org/10.34629/cpublica.934