Portugal's public broadcaster RTP has declared that European media companies face an unfair competitive landscape where international streaming giants operate with significantly fewer regulatory constraints than local broadcasters—a disparity that threatens the financial viability of domestic outlets.
The Core Problem
Nicolau Santos, president of RTP (Rádio e Televisão de Portugal), raised these concerns at the APDC Digital Business Congress held at the Lisbon Technology Forum this week. His core argument is straightforward: Portuguese broadcasters operate under strict regulatory requirements—including content quotas, accessibility standards, and advertising limitations—while YouTube and Netflix face a lighter regulatory burden despite now competing directly for audiences and advertising revenue.
This creates what Santos describes as a "Wild West" competitive landscape where the rules apply unequally.
YouTube as Direct Competitor
A key shift Santos highlighted is that streaming platforms have moved from operating alongside traditional broadcasting into direct competition for the same content and audiences. The most visible example is major football tournaments now appearing on YouTube—a development Santos described as platforms "coming to touch our business."
This represents direct competition, yet governed by fundamentally different regulatory rules. While Portuguese broadcasters face strict content restrictions and face penalties for violations, international platforms enjoy greater flexibility in scheduling and content decisions.
The Sustainability Question
The regulatory imbalance has tangible consequences for RTP's operations. The broadcaster is undertaking a voluntary departure scheme affecting personnel and faces financial pressures that limit its capacity to produce local Portuguese-language content and journalism.
For Portuguese audiences, this means potential reductions in domestic content production and service capacity—consequences that extend beyond business concerns to affect the diversity and accessibility of information available to residents.
European Regulatory Context
Portugal is not alone. The European Union has introduced frameworks like the Digital Services Act and the European Media Freedom Act aimed at addressing platform regulation, but implementation remains uneven across member states. A broader Digital Markets Act designates major tech companies as subject to specific restrictions, though enforcement challenges persist.
The tension Santos described captures the central challenge facing European media policy: balancing digital innovation with the imperative to preserve local media pluralism and ensure fair competition between platforms and traditional broadcasters.
For now, Portuguese broadcasters continue navigating a competitive landscape where international platforms steadily capture market share and advertising revenue once reserved for domestic media.
