The television network reveals its upcoming investment plans exclusively to TM BROADCAST. Portugal’s public broadcaster is advancing through an ambitious technological transformation plan. TM BROADCAST speaks with Monica Cañete Palomo, Director of Engineering and Technological Systems —and a key figure in this process— to review the milestones achieved so far and the road that still lies ahead

*This content is included in the November issue of TM BROADCAST. You can access the full magazine here.

RTP is moving forward with determination in a profound technological transformation that will shape its next decade. The process, framed within the current management’s mandate and aligned with the strategies promoted by the Portuguese government, aims to modernise the broadcaster’s facilities in a comprehensive way, with a particular focus on digital transition.

It is worth outlining some general ideas to understand the scope and philosophy of this ambitious project. “The main goal is a deep modernisation of our facilities, very much focused on the digital transition,” explains Monica Cañete Palomo, Director of Engineering and Technological Systems at RTP, to TM BROADCAST. This digital transformation, she clarifies, involves evolving towards new technologies. “We are committed to a multiplatform model and to what is known as digital first.”

In this regard, the Portuguese broadcaster seeks to redesign its traditional production and contribution models, adapting them to the new IP and streaming environments while facilitating content reuse across different channels. “We want to share content as quickly as possible —ideally immediately— and make it easy to reuse across platforms,” Cañete summarises.

In this process, cybersecurity has emerged as a central axis. With RTP’s infrastructure increasingly based on IT, remote production, cloud editing and playout, the company has strengthened its digital protection strategy. “We are now mixing pure IP technologies, which is why cybersecurity is becoming a fundamental area,” she points out. “In Portugal, the European NIS2 directive has just been approved, which requires critical infrastructures to meet specific obligations, and we are currently immersed in the compliance process.”

The corporation is also part of a group called ISAAC Media, promoted by the Portuguese National Cybersecurity Centre. “It’s a specific group for media organisations, in which we participate alongside other entities from the sector. We meet every three or four months to share experiences, analyse common challenges and coordinate strategies.” This collaborative environment, she stresses, is particularly valuable to face new digital challenges with a shared vision.

In parallel, RTP is working on integrating new efficiency-driven technologies such as automation and artificial intelligence. The latter, Cañete highlights, “must be applied with special responsibility, especially in the verification of news.” Commitment to truth and public trust is a priority: “One of our key roles is to be a trusted source. We want citizens to know that if they want to check whether information is true or not, they can turn to RTP.”

In this area, the broadcaster actively collaborates with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), participating in projects such as C2PA for content traceability and authentication. “RTP is part of the EBU, and I’m a member of the technical committee, where we meet several times a year to make progress in these kinds of initiatives,” the technical director clarifies.

The modernisation plan also covers the technical and operational resilience of the company, with the goal of ensuring continuity of public service under any circumstances. “We want to make sure that, in case of crisis, we can continue informing the public. When something happens, people don’t look for entertainment —they want to know what’s going on,” she explains. “That’s also one of our strategic objectives: to strengthen our resilience, both technical and operational.”

Internal reorganisation and technical assessment

After defining the main lines of the process, RTP has completed an initial phase focused on internal reorganisation and a technical assessment of its production centres. “I came from outside, so the first thing was to understand how everything worked,” recalls Monica Cañete. “In a company as large as RTP, the first step is to understand its structure and operations.”

During the first year, the priority was to evaluate the existing systems and identify opportunities for improvement. The process involved a thorough visit to the main sites —Lisbon and Porto— as well as the regional centres in Madeira and the Azores. “I visited each of them to see their infrastructures and workflows first-hand. The Azores, for example, have a more particular setup, while Madeira is more similar to Lisbon, though with some differences,” Cañete explains. That diagnostic work, she adds, “took us practically a year.”

Based on this evaluation, the team developed a multi-year investment plan to modernise facilities and renew equipment. Although partial upgrades had been made since the move to the current headquarters in 2004, a full renovation had never been undertaken. “We have now set that plan in motion,” she emphasises.

With RTP’s infrastructure increasingly based on IT, remote production, cloud editing and playout, the company has strengthened its digital protection strategy

New news studios

One of the most emblematic projects is the new Casa das Notícias (as it has been internally named), encompassing the complete modernisation of all areas dedicated to news production. “On 12 October, we launched a new visual identity for our news services,” she explains.

The plan includes new studios in Lisbon and Porto, redesigned newsrooms and upgraded technical equipment. “We built a new studio in Porto, which was inaugurated precisely on 12 October, coinciding with the municipal elections,” she details. “We also opened a new studio in Lisbon —for now a temporary one— while renovation work is carried out in the permanent facilities.”

The redesign includes new sets, lighting, LED walls and an updated production control system, along with a refreshed graphics package and musical theme. With this, RTP unveiled its new information branding, accompanied by a renewed identity: “The channel previously known as RTP3 has been renamed RTP Notícias, with a completely new visual identity.”

While the Lisbon studio renovation progresses, the editorial, editing, graphics and infographics teams have been temporarily relocated within the building. Once the works are completed, the final move will lead to a state-of-the-art news centre that will serve as the nerve centre of the organisation’s information operations. “That’s where we will make a larger investment in technology, especially in the newsroom area,” anticipates the technical director. “This project combines infrastructure, image and technology, and stands as one of the flagship initiatives of our current modernisation plan,” she concludes.

Next steps

From a strictly technological standpoint, RTP is preparing to launch a public tender to modernise its entire radio automation system, with the goal of creating a fully integrated and synchronised environment across its main sites —Lisbon, Porto, Madeira and the Azores. “In Lisbon we’re working with the latest version of Dalet, while other locations still use older versions. The goal is to standardise all systems and create a multisite architecture,” explains Monica Cañete.

In parallel, the company is collaborating with the EBU on the redesign of its digital and multiplatform workflows, in line with the digital first model. “We’ve visited several European broadcasters to study their models, and the EBU is providing external consultancy to help us map all our internal processes and redesign them from a transversal point of view,” she notes. “The objective is to understand how we operate today and define how we want to operate in the future.”

The next major milestone will be the complete renewal of the production and news infrastructure, including servers, automation systems and the implementation of a PAM (Production Asset Management) and BPM (Business Process Management) system to unify processes and improve workflow orchestration. “It’s a complex project —not only technically but also operationally— because it involves redesigning workflows from the ground up,” she acknowledges.

Another key front is the redefinition of metadata. “Right now, since we don’t have a PAM, we manage metadata as best we can —but not in the most efficient way,” admits Cañete. “With the new system, we’ll be able to structure it properly and align with the European standards defined by the EBU.” To that end, RTP is assessing new integration methods with systems such as Avid’s BMS and MAM, within a large-scale plan that will serve as the backbone of its technological transformation.

After defining the main lines of the process, RTP has completed an initial phase focused on internal reorganisation and a technical assessment of its production centres

Convergence between radio, television and digital

Asked about potential convergence plans between television, radio and digital platforms, Monica Cañete acknowledges that this remains part of an internal debate as the corporation continues to modernise its spaces and systems. “At an organisational and functional level, radio and television are currently housed in separate spaces,” she clarifies. “The multimedia area, which manages social media and digital news content, is integrated with television —specifically within the newsroom department. From there, we handle everything related to the website and social media.”

Meanwhile, the radio teams maintain independent management of their own content, although both worlds are gradually drawing closer. “With the new systems we’re implementing, we’re studying different ways to better integrate radio and television areas,” she points out. “We’ve visited several European broadcasters to see how they approach this, because it’s not easy to merge those structures. What’s clear is that we must ensure that content is accessible to everyone and easy to publish on any platform.”

The main priority, therefore, is to guarantee collaboration between teams and operational efficiency —regardless of whether radio and television remain separate organisationally.

Integration between sites

The modernisation plan also includes a new multisite architecture that will unify the production centres of Lisbon, Porto, Madeira and the Azores under a single technological environment. “Lisbon is, naturally, the largest centre, both in staff and operational volume,” explains Monica Cañete. “But that doesn’t mean everything depends on it. In some systems, such as ENPS, there is a centralised structure, but in others, like production, that’s not the case.”

The goal is to work in a networked environment, sharing resources and content. Currently, RTP already has operational systems in Lisbon, Porto and Madeira, and plans to include the Azores in a later phase. “The Dalet video production system they use there operates completely independently. Although we already have some integrations with the Lisbon systems, we want to include it in the multisite environment once we replace the current Quantel sQ Server and Omnibus systems,” she reveals.

The process will be gradual, adapted to budgetary and human resource availability. “We don’t have infinite resources or unlimited budgets, so we need to move forward step by step,” she admits. Even so, the roadmap is clear: to build an interconnected, digital and resilient RTP capable of operating in a network from anywhere in the country.

“With the new systems we’re implementing, we’re studying different ways to better integrate radio and television areas”

Strategy for the SDI–IP transition

The company is also moving forward in its technological transition towards IP-based environments, although following a progressive and realistic approach. “When I joined, I initially considered starting with IP in the Porto project, since it was a completely new studio built from scratch,” recalls the technical director. “We analysed that possibility, but eventually realised it was a more expensive option and also presented an additional challenge: the technical entry barrier.”

The challenge, she explains, is not only financial but also human. “Training engineering teams in IP takes time and resources. In Porto, we have fewer technical staff than in Lisbon, and although they are highly versatile teams, I preferred not to introduce a more demanding technology without strong local support,” she details. “It wouldn’t make sense to implement something that could create more problems than it would solve.”

For this reason, RTP has decided to postpone the full transition to IP, reserving it for projects where the change would generate a tangible operational benefit. “It makes more sense to think about IP when we tackle the renewal of the playout system, which is planned within two or three years,” she anticipates. “At that point, we’ll be able to design a more complete environment, with a fully IP-based core and gateways to the outside.”

The current infrastructure, however, is already prepared to operate in hybrid mode, allowing for a step-by-step migration as studios and transmission systems are renewed. “Everything will depend on timing and budget availability,” she concludes.

One of the most emblematic projects is the new Casa das Notícias (as it has been internally named), encompassing the complete modernisation of all areas dedicated to news production

Image resolution

In terms of image quality, the evolution towards UHD and HDR is not currently among RTP’s immediate priorities, as the organisation is focusing its resources on other, more urgent transformations. “The truth is we have so many technological priorities to deal with that the evolution towards UHD and HDR has been pushed somewhat into the background,” admits Monica Cañete.

Nevertheless, the broadcaster already carries out some 4K recordings, mainly for concerts and special productions, using an OB van equipped for that purpose. However, the Portuguese context determines the pace of adoption. “In DTT, the situation is very different from that of other countries,” she explains. “At present, there are very few channels, and all of them still broadcast in SD.”

The main reason lies in the extremely high penetration of cable television in Portugal, which exceeds 80%. “Most of our audience watches RTP through cable or IPTV platforms rather than via DTT,” she specifies. As a result, the transition to 4K is limited by structural and budgetary factors. “We would love to move forward, but there are other priorities to address first. For now, we record content in 4K that can be used on digital platforms such as RTP Play, where we can occasionally offer broadcasts in that quality.”

“It makes more sense to think about IP when we tackle the renewal of the playout system, which is planned within two or three years”

Graphics

At the same time, the company has strengthened its graphics and set design division, focusing on the visual integration of technology and content. “In the graphics area we mainly work with Vizrt, which is implemented across the entire organisation,” details Cañete. In recent years, RTP has reinforced its use in studios, combining physical sets with LED screens as the main visual element in its new facilities.

The technical director recalls that in the past, the broadcaster experimented with virtual camera systems and fully digital environments, though their use was limited. “We had virtual cameras integrating 3D objects without physical sets, but in practice they were barely used,” she acknowledges. “That’s why we decided to change our approach.”

The new strategy focuses on strengthening the news graphics area, relying on Viz Multiplay and the visual power of LED walls. “The new studios combine graphics, information and video with the set design, creating a more realistic and dynamic environment,” she explains.

For now, immersive or augmented reality technologies remain in the background. “Our focus is on optimising graphic resources for the new studios and reinforcing visual consistency across the board,” she notes. The trend, she concludes, is clear: realistic, dynamic and physically tangible sets, where technology serves the storytelling.

Cloud technologies

The adoption of cloud-based technologies is another key vector of RTP’s transformation, although their use is carefully delimited. “I don’t see the cloud as a solution for archiving or for the core of our operations,” clarifies Cañete. “I wouldn’t move the newsroom system to the cloud, nor the playout, nor day-to-day operations.”

The reasons are both technical and administrative. As a public broadcaster, the corporation is subject to procurement and budgetary control procedures that make dependency on cloud services more complex. “A provider could increase the cost of a service by 10, 20 or 50 percent from one year to the next, and in our case that might need government approval. We can’t depend on that kind of uncertainty,” she explains.

For that reason, the core operations remain on-premises, although RTP is incorporating the cloud in specific scenarios. One of these is its Disaster Recovery plan, in which Porto serves as an alternative broadcast centre. “If something serious happened in Lisbon —an earthquake, a crisis, any emergency— Porto could take over part of the broadcast and guarantee continuity of information,” she says. “We want to make sure that, whatever happens, there’s always at least one television channel and one radio station on air.”

Another area with great potential is cloud-based remote production, which is already being tested in Madeira, the Azores and Lisbon. “We’re carrying out proofs of concept with very positive results,” she comments. “This model offers greater efficiency, flexibility and cost savings. As a public broadcaster, we must optimise taxpayer resources, and cloud-based remote production is a valuable tool for that.”

The cloud also enables RTP to launch temporary channels or special event coverage with great agility. “When we need to set up a special channel for two weeks, the cloud allows us to do it quickly: a temporary cloud playout and that’s it,” she explains. “We also use it for remote commentary —commentators can intervene from outside the facilities, connecting to the central production system.”

This flexibility opens the door to hybrid automation models, where the cloud system can replace the local one in case of failure. “If something fails locally, we could switch the channel directly to the cloud,” she adds. Likewise, the cloud environment is proving crucial for managing IP contribution, transcoding and remote distribution, optimising real-time workflows.

 “RTP uses AI in productivity applications and in tools that include it natively, but large-scale deployment will come with the implementation of the new PAM system”

Use of 5G

In parallel, RTP is exploring the potential of 5G for IP contribution, particularly through transmission backpacks and private networks. “We’ve held discussions with Portuguese operators to test private 5G networks in specific events, similar to what the BBC has done,” notes Monica Cañete. “These temporary deployments can provide great stability and bandwidth for critical productions.”

The corporation is currently conducting proofs of concept using priority 5G SIM cards, which guarantee bandwidth and connection stability for live broadcasts. “You pay a bit more for each SIM, but you gain priority and a minimum reserved bandwidth on the network,” she explains. Combined with solutions such as Starlink, these options help reduce costs and improve operational redundancy. “An IP-based redundant contribution can even be more cost-effective and efficient than traditional satellite transmission,” she stresses.

Live event production serves as a testing ground for these technologies. “Events are very important for us, especially those involving large technical deployments,” she points out. Among them, she cites the World Youth Day in Lisbon, the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU, and more recently, the Volta a Portugal, where RTP tested cloud-based production and editing. “It was a year of learning. We evaluated products, workflows and processes to understand what worked best. Based on that experience, we want to integrate some of these technologies into one of our OB vans.”

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence also occupies a prominent place in RTP’s roadmap. In this field, the broadcaster is moving forward steadily yet cautiously: it has defined its own ethical code and collaborates with specialised entities to ensure responsible use of the technology. “As a public broadcaster, we have an additional responsibility: we must ensure that AI is used responsibly, transparently and with full user awareness,” emphasises the technical director. “Everything must be properly documented, with risk control measures and protocols to prevent potential issues.”

Since August, RTP has been working with a Portuguese AI consultancy to audit its processes, train staff and establish risk matrices. “Today, for instance, we held an internal training session on artificial intelligence to help our staff understand how it works, what its challenges and risks are, and also its benefits,” she explains. The goal, she adds, “is for everyone to understand the real impact of this technology and how it can be applied safely and responsibly.”

The collaboration includes creating an inventory of all assets that already incorporate AI, as well as defining a legal and technical framework aligned with European regulations. “Each use is analysed individually, risks are assessed and legal review is required before approval,” she details. In the newsroom, for example, generative AI tools are already being tested, though “in a very controlled way.”

Currently, RTP uses AI in productivity applications and in tools that include it natively, such as Adobe plugins, but large-scale deployment will come with the implementation of the new PAM system. “From next year, with that system as part of our wider technological renewal project, we plan to integrate artificial intelligence into workflows —particularly for tasks such as metadata management, speech-to-text or facial recognition,” she reveals.

In this latter area, the company works closely with its legal department to ensure compliance with the European data protection regulation (GDPR). “We’re carefully studying the legal aspects to make sure everything is done by the book, following European standards and best practices,” she notes.

RTP also collaborates with the EBU in traceability and content authentication initiatives such as C2PA, focused on validating the origin of audiovisual pieces. “We are actively involved in the working groups developing the standards and verification methodologies,” she explains. Although the project is still under definition, the corporation believes this line of work will be key to reinforcing public trust in journalism and combating disinformation.

With this combination of ethics, technology and public responsibility, RTP is advancing through a comprehensive transformation process that goes beyond merely updating its infrastructure. It defines what the broadcaster’s role should be in the digital era: a modern, secure and citizen-oriented public service.

“Most of our audience watches RTP through cable or IPTV platforms rather than via DTT”

Their upcoming investment plans at a glance

The next major milestone will be the complete renewal of the production and news infrastructure, including servers, automation systems and the implementation of a PAM and BPM system to unify processes and improve workflow orchestration

RTP is preparing to launch a public tender to modernise its entire radio automation system, with the goal of creating a fully integrated and synchronised environment across its main sites

The modernisation plan also includes a new multisite architecture that will unify the production centres of Lisbon, Porto, Madeira and the Azores under a single technological environment