The administration of RTP, led by Nicolau Santos, expressed its deep sorrow over the passing of Francisco Pinto Balsemão, founder and president of Portugal’s largest private media group.
Balsemão was a pivotal figure in the defense of free, independent, and rigorous journalism, marking his career with the founding of the weekly newspaper Expresso on January 6, 1973, and later, SIC, Portugal’s first private television channel, on October 6, 1992, RTP noted.
Throughout his career, Francisco Pinto Balsemão consistently advocated for the financial autonomy of editorial projects as essential for maintaining independence from all powers, demonstrating this commitment to the freedom of information even when he was the subject of media reports.
Remaining vigilant to new developments in the sector, he dedicated his later years to monitoring the drastic transformations within the media industry worldwide, particularly in the digital arena, which profoundly impacted traditional production methods, RTP added.
The RTP administration also emphasized that Balsemão always considered himself a journalist, evidenced by his hosting a series of conversations with national figures available as podcasts this year.
He repeatedly conveyed the desire to leave the world better than he found it through his life’s work, RTP added.
The note of condolence further states: “To Francisco Pedro Balsemão, current CEO of the Impresa group, his family, and all the collaborators, the RTP Board of Directors offers its condolences.”
“It is incumbent upon everyone working in the sector to uphold the example and legacy of Francisco Pinto Balsemão in favor of media independence and journalists’ freedom of information,” it asserts.
The Council of Ministers today approved a national mourning decree for two days following his death, to be observed today and Thursday, according to a source from the prime minister’s office.
Balsemão was an indelible personality in the history of Portuguese media, a journalist who never ceased to be political, guided by the fight for freedom of expression and the right to inform.
Founder of the weekly newspaper Expresso during the dictatorship in 1973 and of SIC, the first private television in Portugal, he passed away on Tuesday at 88 years old from natural causes.
In 1974, following the April 25 Revolution, he co-founded the Democratic Popular Party (PPD), later the Social Democratic Party (PSD), with Francisco Sá Carneiro and Magalhães Mota. He led two governments after Sá Carneiro’s death, between 1981 and 1983, and was until now a member of the Council of State, an advisory body to the President of the Republic.
