A special broadcast was held on 7 March 1997 - the date of the 40th anniversary of RTP - as the announcement of the project, which would later become a channel of its own, took place.

The service would be broadcast by satellite using RTP Internacional's frequency four hours a day, subsequently evolving “with a balanced distribution of information programs, of an educational nature and covering various genres, such as documentaries, musical and cultural”.

These programs relied heavily on NET-RTP, which was the co-operation framework RTP set up with partners in the African countries.

[3] The channel was opened by Patrícia Bull, the launch day also included a pre-recorded speech by Jorge Sampaio and an inaugural session from the Belém Cultural Center.

In Africa the channel is best known for the Portuguese Liga broadcasts, given the fact that in these countries most football fans are supporters of Benfica, Sporting or Porto.

The channel also gained fame for its São Tomean (Na Roça com os Tachos, international title: The Cooking of the Enchanted Islands) and Angolan (Moamba) cuisine shows.