The same fate befell a project presented by filmmaker António da Cunha Telles (born in Madeira) which envisaged the creation of a company, Radiotelevisão Madeirense, to exploit TV in the archipelago, although in close collaboration and understanding with RTP.
[1] RTP planned the start of a television service in Madeira as early as 1971, but the building of the transmitters was delayed due to adverse climatic conditions.
The main location, at Pico do Silva (Camacha parish), at 1,111 m. altitude, in addition to the building to house the transmitter (2 kW), emergency generating set and other equipment, a 75 m metal tower was erected.
Work started to accommodate the new station (which was to follow in the coming years) to obtain the necessary room for the equipment, of which telecine machines and videotapes were essential parts, given the characteristics of the programming that was going to air; a small studio equipped with a camera (which had been a telecine camera, but which had been ingeniously adapted for its new function); an equally tiny editorial room; and offices for writers, producer-coordinators, maintenance, etc.
One-inch magnetic supports and film reels were received in Santa Catarina; they would then travel by car to Funchal; they were then minimally controlled; and, finally, they were put “on air” by studio equipment.
[8] The running order for the first day, opening earlier at 3pm, consisted of the following programs:[7] Few people owned a TV set at the time.
[9] In the 1980s, and with the support of the Regional Government, a plan aimed at extending the coverage to the entirety of the islands began, with the inauguration of the following transmitters: Production of a Jeux Sans Frontières heat in Funchal was made for the Eurovision network in 1982 with a local presenter (Maria João Carreira) joining the Portuguese presenters Eládio Clímaco and Alice Cruz.