RTP2

RTP2
Launched 25 December 1968 (1968-12-25)
Owned by Rádio e Televisão de Portugal
Picture format Resolution:
576i (PAL)
Aspect Ratio:
16:9
Audience share 2.3% (Week 10 '14, )
Slogan "Quem Vê, Quer Ver"
Who watches, wants to watch.
Country Portugal
Broadcast area Portugal
Headquarters Porto
Formerly called II Programa (1968 - 1978)
RTP Canal 2 (1989 - 1992)
TV2 (1992 - April 29, 1996)
2: (January 5, 2004 - March 19, 2007)
Sister channel(s) RTP1
RTP3
RTP Memória
RTP HD
Website rtp.pt/rtp2
Availability
Terrestrial
Digital Channel 2
Satellite
NOS Channel 2
MEO Channel 2
Cable
NOS Channel 2
Cabovisão Channel 2
IPTV
MEO Channel 2
Vodafone Channel 2

RTP2 is the second television channel of Rádio e Televisão de Portugal, the Portuguese public broadcasting corporation. Commonly referred as the "Second Channel", or simply "Dois" (Portuguese for two), this historically state-run television channel started its regular broadcasting on December 25, 1968. Nowadays, RTP2 is a public service, advertising-free channel that serves as an alternative to the mainstream channel of RTP, RTP1.

Similar to BBC Two, RTP2 aims at less mainstream and more intellectual content. RTP2 is the only of several Portuguese and European national/international channels that has a strict cultural and educational programming (comparable to Arte). RTP2 is the only broadcaster from Portugal that broadcasts programming without interruptions, ad breaks or in line messaging. Together with sister channel RTP1, it became a 24-hour service in 2002.

RTP2's line-up is devoted to worldwide recognized quality television content, institutional EU/national programming or advertising, television series, cinematography, documentary films, theatre and classical music. This channel gathers 5%-7% share of the national audience (2007).

History

RTP2 (going under the unofficial name of II Programa) began broadcasting on December 25, 1968 on the UHF band, broadcasting to large urban centres, relaying selected RTP 1 shows over the course of two hours every night. Regular broadcasts started on November 21, 1970. As the 1970s progressed, the channel slowly started to add (predominantly European) shows on the schedule that RTP 1 did not air.

In October 1978, RTP decided to separate RTP 1 and RTP 2, giving each channel their own teams and news operations. Fernando Lopes became the controller of the newly-separate channel, being nicknamed as "Canal Lopes" (the Lopes channel). Said change occurred on the 16th of that month.

Towards the start of the 80s, owing to cost-cutting measures, RTP 2 was now under RTP 1's control again.

In 1986, the channel was part of the Europa TV experiment, airing the channel's programming between 16:30 and 20:00. As soon as Europa TV closed, some Music Box shows were relayed on the channel. Agora Escolha premiered in the same year, a phone-in show which allowed the viewer to choose from two different TV shows. It got cancelled in the mid-90s, apart from a brief (and web-centric) revival in 2011 on RTP Memória.

In 1990, RTP 2 was renamed Canal 2, then to TV2 in 1992. As TV2, the channel's slogan was A Outra TV.

In 1994, TV2 was forced to focus entirely on minorities, causing major changes to the channel's schedule. Football and telenovelas were banned from TV2 and the channel's ratings started to vertiginously decrease.

On April 27, 1996, the channel's name reverted to RTP 2, carrying the same scheduling format as TV2. The channel started to relay Euronews in Portuguese at certain times.

Commercial advertising was banned towards the new millennium.

On January 5, 2004, the channel renamed once again, becoming 2:, pronounced a dois (the two). As a result, the channel was now forced to focus on cultural interests and the civil society.

Identity

Logo of RTP Canal 2 from 1989 to 17th September 1990. The logo (and ident) was introduced without word "Canal", which was added later in 1989.
One of the several RTP2 stripes idents, in use since 2007.

RTP2's logotype and overall identity has changed various times over the years.

RTP2's first logo as a separate entity consisted of stylish lowercase lettering, with the 2 formed out of the t. The logo is famous for appearing on Zé Gato, which aired on the channel.

Then, from 1980 to 1985, both channels used the same logo format, with different colours for each channel. For example, in 1982 there was an ident, whose music was a crescending synthesizer tune which sounded very similar to THX's Deep Note.[1]

In 1985, RTP2 introduced a new logo, consisting of a red 2 drawn out of three lines and the RTP wordmark in blue underneath. The wordmark was adopted on RTP's logo the following year.

In 1986, RTP2 changed their logo to a rounded rectangle with the RTP wordmart to the left of a side of the 2.

In 1988, a new logo, consisting of a red 2, a green 2 and a purple 2 forming a larger 2 was introduced. The picture seen here is from the transitory phase to the new identity.

In 1990 a permanent, white and opaque DOG was introduced. The logotype was a handwritten "2". Idents consisted mainly on several fruit chopped in the middle by the logotype, accompanied by synthesized pieces of music.[2] At startup, the film consisted of what looked like a chalkboard drawing of a line entering a TV set, later forming the logo. At closedown, an animation with the same style was used, focusing on the Portuguese discoveries. This was used as the channel's anthem film during this look.

Later on 1992, RTP Canal 2 was renamed TV2, and the logotype was a yellow stripe forming a "2", and two pieces of quartz forming the word "TV". Idents at that time featured prominently yellow stripes. In 1994, the look changed slightly to a yellow background with various stripes, but the logo remain the same[3]

TV2 was renamed RTP2 on April 29, 1996, and the new logotype consisted of a white "2" in a light orange background, with the letters "RTP" underneath in white, overlaid in a dark blue background. RTP2 idents consisted mainly on the logotype flashed on several themes such as typewriters, stripes (a reference to the previous identity), a group of people dancing, accompanied by an orchestral channel tune with prominent harp, violin and cello arrangements. This ident collection and overall channel imagery continues to be, by far, one of the most original and creative ever made on Portuguese television.

In 1998, a new look, designed by Thomas Sabel at Novocom, was introduced, giving predominance to actual people and adding green to the channel's color scheme. This was changed by a simpler look in 2000, designed by BBC Broadcast.

RTP2 logo was changed again on January 28, 2002. Only one ident was used during the lifetime of this logotype, and consisted of a representation of the logo in white, with a dark orange background.

RTP2 identity and concept was replaced on January 5, 2004, 9 pm. "2:" became the name of the channel. 2:'s idents were CGI and accompanied by electronic and classical music, with prominent piano arrangements, as the channel's tune.

2: was again renamed RTP2 on March 2007, the new idents continued to be CGIs with vertical stripes, in various forms, as the main theme.

Current programs

Talk shows

Magazines

Debate

Others

Sports

Blocks

TV series

References

  1. RTP2 ident from 1982, YouTube
  2. Canal 2 idents from 1990, YouTube
  3. TV2 ident from 1994, YouTube

External links

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