Communiqué from the Council of the Government - Communication

The Council of the Government, which met by videoconference on  October 7, adopted the following measure:

1 - Approve the proposal for a Regional Legislative Decree to create an extraordinary support programme for private media outlets with headquarters, activity, and tax residency based in the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

The programme will represent an investment of up to 480 thousand Euros. The extraordinary support corresponds to the gross amount of four minimum monthly salaries in force in the Autonomous Region of the Azores for 2024. The amount of support is paid per worker with a fixed-term contract or a contract of indefinite duration according to the monthly pay statements submitted to Social Security. 

The private media in the Azores carry out a mission of significant public interest. Their importance assumes particular relevance as mediating partners for information and the formation of qualified public opinion, making them indispensable as a guarantee of democracy. Furthermore, they have the mission of uniting all Azoreans.

In view of the serious social and economic impacts faced by the private media in the Azores, the Regional Government decided to create an extraordinary support programme for private media with headquarters, activity and tax residency based in the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

In the aftermath of the pandemic and amid a war in Europe and the Middle East, rising raw material costs overall loss of income, rising interest rates and rent increases, it is necessary to strengthen the private media. In providing free and independent information, the media is one of the fundamental pillars of democracy.

This extraordinary support is intended to safeguard jobs in newsrooms and private media companies. It also ensures mechanisms that prevent a reduction in the professional coverage of current political, social, economic and cultural affairs.