RTP – Rádio e Televisão de Portugal, S.A. is the Portuguese Public Service Broadcaster for radio and television. The institution has the heritage of more than 50 years of public service, with radio broadcasting starting in the 1930´s and the first television broadcast in 1957. Currently RTP produces and broadcasts 8 different television channels, apart from 7 radio channels, serving a wide array of audiences both in Portugal and abroad.
RTP’s audiovisual archive spanning more than 50 years of Portugal’s history, is a very important asset for in house production and broadcasting, as well as, a major tool for the study of political and social history, reflected in the very large number of general information and screening requests the Archive provides yearly, both to the general public and to universities and research institutes. Recently, the company went through a global technological renewal and digitalization of production and broadcast chains, in order to operate on “tape less” mode. The digital archive system (DAM) is the core element of this new platform.
RTP´s Archive has been participating in several National and European projects, in partnership with various research institutes and other television archives, such as, INA, BBC or RAI. These activities covered many areas regarding the world of archives such as Digital Asset Management or video and audio digital restoration.
The company is a full member of several international organisations, among which UER/EBU, FIAT/IFTA (International Federation of Television Archives) and IASA, (International Association of sound and Audiovisual Archives). RTP’s Archive Department has had an active role within these organisations, especially in the annual FIAT World Conference.