On June 24, it was announced that journalist Vítor Gonçalves has become the new news director of RTP, replacing António José Teixeira. The reorganization within the company will see the number of directors reduced from the current 30 directors and assistant directors to 23.
In resolution ERC/2025/250 (opinion), the Regulatory Authority for the Media (ERC) “decides to give a favorable opinion,” among others, to the appointment of Vítor Manuel Gonçalves Loureiro as the news director for all national and international broadcasting services – RTP1, RTP2, RTP Memória, RTP Internacional, and RTP África, as well as the director of programs and information at RTP3.
The media regulator also expresses a favorable opinion regarding the dismissal of António José Teixeira from the position of news director for television for all national and international services (except RTP África) and as the director of programs and information at RTP3.
The ERC noted that the Television Newsroom Council expressed “no objection to the proposed name” by the Board of Directors for the position of television news director, offering “full availability” for constructive collaboration.
In its opinion, the ERC indicates that the justification for changing the television news director was “omitted in references to RTP3” in the letter from the Board of Directors.
The ERC emphasizes that invoking an additional public reason for this change, omitted in the request for an opinion and pending evaluation, weakened both the coherence of RTP’s justification and the exercise of institutional transparency toward the regulator.
However, considering the scope and extent of the regulator’s evaluation of RTP directors’ dismissals, the available information, the hearing of the RTP news director (who denied the accusations regarding RTP3 and questioned the timing of the dismissal decision), and the opinion of the Newsroom Council, there is no evidence to support that the Board’s decision was arbitrary or based on illegitimate motivations, nor did it exceed their statutory functions, the regulator stated.
Apart from Vítor Gonçalves, ERC’s Regulatory Council approved the appointment of Nuno Miguel Silva Reis as the programs director for Radio Antena 1, Antena 2, Antena 3, RDP África, and RDP Internacional; José Fragoso as the programs director for RTP África, in addition to his role as director of programs for RTP1 and RTP Internacional; and Gonçalo Madaíl as programs director of RTP2, in addition to his role as director of programs for RTP Memória.
Additionally, the ERC expressed a favorable opinion regarding the dismissal of Nuno Henrique Galopim de Carvalho from the position of director at Antena 1, RDP África, and RDP Internacional; João Manuel Santos Almeida from Antena 2 directorship; and Teresa Paixão from the position of programs director at RTP2.
“The opinion was based on the evaluation of the nominees’ resumes, hearings facilitated by the ERC with the professionals to be appointed and dismissed, as well as the justification provided by RTP’s Board of Administration,” stated the regulator in a communiqué.
The ERC issues a prior and binding opinion on the appointment and dismissal of directors and assistant directors of state-owned and other public entities’ media outlets responsible for programming and information sectors.
