[1] In 1975, during the transformative phase of Portugal's transition from Estado Novo regime to Third Portuguese Republic, Ramalho Eanes, then president of the administrative council at RTP solicited a dossier already published by João Paz on the future of regional broadcasting, then referred to as RTP-Açores.

[2] Instability at the national/regional levels and the move towards more autonomy and independence meant that RTP's motives were met with anxiety and distrust, the national broadcaster at that time being a tool of the Armed Forces Movement (MFA).

[2] Following the Carnation Revolution, the move towards a decentralized constitution, with an autonomous status for regional authorities, the island of São Miguel in the archipelago of the Azores, was chosen for the broadcasting centre.

The first broadcast began at 3:30 in the afternoon, with a speech by President of the Board of Governors, General Altino Pinto de Magalhães, and lasted until 9:30, at the end of a newscast.

[2] After this film, Telejournal published local/regional and national news (already two days late) before a caption appearing to round out the schedule, stating "Silence...we are going to laugh".

[4] At the conclusion of this first broadcast, a technical flaw did not permit the playing of the national anthem, resulting in one viewer calling in to berate the studio, stating "...this here is still Portugal".

[4][5] One of the programs shown on launch day, the Polish series Chłopi (The Peasants), caused controversy among the viewing audience, ostensibly due to the behavior portrayed.

[4] Satellite connections started in 1977, enabling Azoreans access to real-time programming from the mainland,[7] followed by offices in Horta in January 1978 and Angra do Heroísmo in April 1979.

This changed during the administration of Lopes Araújo; in July 1984, after completing a course in Law on the continent, he returned to the Azores, and at the age of 26, assumed an approach to revitalize regional programming and promote RTP Açores internationally.

This included transmitting direct from Ponta Delgada, via satellite, the festivals of Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres in 1985, as well as broadcasting the news from the Azores to services in North America, Canada and Bermuda, starting in 1987.

[14] To this, in July 1986, the Regional Centre of the Azores produced Xailes Negros (a mini-series) which attempted break the mould and provide dynamic fiction and story-telling, from scratch, while other productions have moved to adapt pre-existing public literature and works by celebrated Azorean authors.

Footage dispatched to stations in the United States, Canada and Bermuda, Notícias dos Açores, attracted between 350,000 and 700,000 viewers of Azorean descent.