João Galveias is Director of Content for Young Audiences at RTP, Portugal’s public broadcaster. He has also been Director of Digital Services at RTP since 2014, and chairs the Digital Committee of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). During the RIPE@2024 conference in Lisbon, João presented RTP’s strategies to reach young audiences. He began his career at RTP in 1994, working in the field of marketing, and then moved to commercial broadcaster SIC from 2000 to 2014, where he served, among other positions, as Director of Multimedia.
Could you give us an insight into RTP’s main activities in the area of young audiences?
RTP has historically been organized into silos based on linear broadcast channels. However, last year, it underwent a significant restructuring, creating thematic content management areas such as fiction, documentaries, major entertainment and talk shows, institutional content, and content for young audiences. These areas are now transversal across all distribution channels, both linear and digital. For young audiences, RTP is organized into six sub-areas. The first, for 4-12 year olds, is managed under the Zig Zag brand, featuring daily programming on RTP 2, Zig Zag Radio, and Zig Zag Play. The second, for the age group of 13-17, caters to teenagers’ interests with drama and reality shows. The third, for 18-24 year olds, includes contemporary content and RTP Arena, a dedicated e-sports platform. Youth Current Affairs delivers news tailored for young viewers. The Education sub-area supports learning with a focus on media literacy. RTP Lab fosters innovative storytelling and supports young creators.
What are the main challenges you are currently facing?
A key challenge is to implement streamlined processes across the production and distribution chain to adapt quickly to changing trends and audience preferences. This involves reducing bureaucratic hurdles and ensuring rapid responses to market demands. Another crucial aspect is ensuring that our team has the expertise to create and manage appealing content, which requires continuous training to keep up with the latest trends and technologies in media production and distribution. Managing financial resources effectively to produce high-quality content while balancing investments in new projects and maintaining existing ones is also essential, requiring strategic allocation of funds. Additionally, attracting and retaining young talent within the organization to bring fresh perspectives and ideas is vital. This involves creating a dynamic and appealing work environment that encourages innovation and creativity.
To address these challenges, RTP will continuously monitor audience preferences, market trends, and technological advancements to stay informed and proactive. Second, it will analyze the data it collects to understand the underlying patterns and needs of young audiences. Thirdly, it will implement strategic actions based on this analysis, focusing on agility, enhancing know-how, optimizing budget use, and renewing the talent pool.
In your experience, are there any programming or other strategies that work particularly well to engage young audiences in PSM?
Engaging young audiences in PSM requires a multifaceted approach that addresses their unique preferences and rapidly changing interests. Key strategies include ensuring that content is relevant and resonates with their specific interests by creating diverse and authentic narratives that reflect their realities. Using social media, streaming services, and OTT platforms ensures that content is accessible where and when young viewers prefer to consume it.
Encouraging a two-way dialogue between the audience and content producers is essential. This can be achieved through interactive features such as live chats, polls, user-generated content, and social media engagement, making young viewers feel involved and valued. Furthermore, clearly defining the mission from the audience’s perspective is important. Understanding what young audiences need and expect from PSM, whether it’s entertainment, education, information, or a platform for expression, allows content to be tailored accordingly.
Another key strategy is to identify and focus on areas where public service can offer unique value that other providers do not. These include educational content, programming that fosters civic engagement, and initiatives that support media literacy and critical thinking skills. Recognizing the significant differences in interests and needs within the young audience demographic is essential. Developing targeted content that caters to these specific segments ensures that each group feels represented and engaged.
Insisting on traditional and linear distribution models is unsatisfactory. The media ecosystem for young people is rich in content and distribution methods, including social media, YouTube, Twitch, OTT, and linear channels. Only a public service that embraces this richness and diversity of content and distribution can succeed and be relevant to these citizens.
Are there any issues related to PSM that you think researchers should focus more on?
Researchers should focus on several critical areas to help PSM thrive in the modern media landscape. Measuring impact and relevance has become complex; traditional metrics like viewership and ratings are no longer sufficient. Researchers should explore new metrics that capture audience engagement, such as social media interactions, time spent on content, and virality. Assessing the societal impact of PSM, including its role in promoting informed citizenship, cultural preservation, and community building, is essential, using qualitative measures such as audience feedback and case studies.
In an AI-driven world, PSM faces unique challenges and opportunities. The dematerialization of brands, where AI agents interact directly with end-users, bypassing traditional brand interfaces, presents a significant challenge. Researchers should explore strategies to optimize metadata and understand AI algorithms to ensure PSM content is selected and surfaced.
Ensuring prominence involves developing techniques to ensure that PSM content is recognized as valuable by AI agents. This includes creating sophisticated metadata, leveraging SEO for content discoverability, and ensuring quality and reliability. Metadata, once a supporting tool for analytical purposes, is now crucial for the operation of broadcasters’ platforms. Researchers should focus on best practices for managing and enriching metadata to ensure content is discoverable across various platforms, using AI to automate tagging and improve accuracy.