The liberalisation of media and communications in Portugal

Abstract

A fundamental aspect of the rapid socio-economic change which Portugal witnessed in the post revolutionary period has been in the area of media and communications. This chapter analyses the historical development of the Portuguese media and telecommunications sectors, focusing on three periods: the immediate post-revolutionary period and its aftermath; pressures for change in the 1980s leading to the period of Social Democratic reform; and the actions of the first Guterres government. The economy was growing rapidly and the liberalisation of the media and telecommunications markets was seen as inevitable. The Cavaco Silva government itself believed that if Portugal was to be seen as a truly European partner, changes in the economy, and consequently in the media market, had to be introduced. For the mass media, the Guterres government priorities included: the right of information; revitalisation of the media sector; independence in the management of the media public sector; and the media as a tool of international politics.