Televisão Pública de Angola (TPA) is the national public television broadcaster of Angola, headquartered in the capital city Luanda. It was originally founded on June 27, 1973, under the Portuguese colonial government as Radiotelevisão Portuguesa de Angola, with the first terrestrial TV signal launched on October 18, 1975, shortly before Angola's independence. After independence, it was nationalized and renamed Televisão Popular de Angola in 1976, and later became Televisão Pública de Angola in 1997.
TPA operates several channels:
- TPA 1: The main generalist channel focusing on news, sports, and general programming.
- TPA 2: Focused on entertainment and culture, targeting children, teenagers, and adults.
- TPA 3: Dedicated to movies, series, soap operas (novelas), and documentaries.
- TPA Notícias: The first dedicated 24/7 news channel in Angola, launched in July 2022, replacing the former international channel TPA Internaciona.
Previously, TPA Internacional was the international channel aimed at Angolan communities abroad and foreign audiences, broadcasting a mix of content from TPA1 and TPA2. It was launched in 2008 and broadcast to Africa, Asia, America, and Europe, showcasing Angolan culture, news, sports, and entertainment under the motto "Angola perto de si" (Angola close to you).
TPA broadcasts primarily in Portuguese and has expanded its programming over the years to include native Angolan languages, starting in 1982. The broadcaster transitioned to color TV in 1983 and expanded nationwide via satellite by 1992. It began 24-hour broadcasting in 2007 and upgraded to HD broadcasting in 2022.
TPA is a state-owned company, governed by a Board of Directors appointed by the President of Angola and subordinated to the Ministry of Telecommunications, IT and Social Communication. Its funding mainly comes from the state budget, with state subsidies accounting for the majority of its budget in recent years. There is no formal mechanism to guarantee its editorial independence.
