The House of the Azores of New England sent today a letter to the Minister Assistant and for Parliamentary Affairs, expressing the "great concern" of the emigrant community in New England regarding "the intentions announced" by Miguel Relvas "in the context of the Economic Sustainability Plan for RTP and the production of RTP Açores contents in a five hour period."

In this letter, which also includes a petition from its members, the House of the Azores of New England believes that "RTP Açores is essential as a means of connection to the everyday reality of the Azores as well as a link to the culture and heritage and the Azorean people.

For that reason, the Portuguese community of Azorean descent residing in the USA have subscribed the services provided by RTP Internacional since a significant part of its programmes are produced by RTP-Açores," which "represents symbolic and financial contribution to the funding of RTP-Açores.

According to the letter sent by the House of the Azores of New England to Miguel Relvas, the intentions towards the concentration RTP-Açores in a five hour period "would irreversibly reduce RTP Açores' capacity to develop other formats and contents with greater relevance to the Azorean communities abroad which go beyond daily information."

The House of the Azores of New England also understands that the current national context requires "an effort to increase the economic and financial efficiency of RTP-Açores as a public company." However, it "does not accept that the Portuguese Government limits the knowledge of these communities on their country and different regions for the reason that the Government had set the following goal in its programme: "Revalue the Portuguese communities abroad, both the traditional and the recent ones, for they represent an strategic asset of utmost importance to Portugal at a financial, economical, cultural, social and political level."

The letter concludes that the "feeling now conveyed to the Minister Assistant and for Parliamentary Affairs  is shared by about 1 million people of Azorean descent residing in various communities throughout the USA , for whom RTP Açores is not just a TV channel: it is a fundamental institution that connect them to their roots and the preservation of their identity."

The sending of a letter and a petition to the government official who supervises RTP was announced at a public debate on "the role of RTP-Açores and its importance to the Azorean community living in the USA," which was held in New Bedford and was attended by the Regional Secretary of the Presidency.

For André Bradford, this initiative "is an act of the utmost importance in defending this cause and that should unite all those who disagree with the dismantling of the RTP Açores, which will contribute to its slow death."