Portugal’s transition to democracy began in the early hours of April 25, 1974, when the Armed Forces Movement (MFA) seized control of the Portuguese public television studios (RTP), a pivotal strategic objective of the military coup. The Carnation Revolution was thus characterized by a media/spatial convergence of revolutionary agency, mass communication technology and public broadcasting infrastructure. Television quickly transformed from a propaganda tool of the fascist regime into a means of disseminating free information and education to the masses, as well as a platform for promoting social innovation in an emerging democracy. Throughout Portugal's democratic history, television has given architects a way to connect with a broader audience; some have even created their own TV productions. This paper examines the television programs conceived and presented by three renowned Portuguese architects — Nuno Portas (RTP, 1978-79), Manuel Graça Dias (RTP, 1992-96) and José Mateus (Sic, 2002/2005) — to reflect on the specificity of the television format as a space for the production and dissemination of the architectural debate in Portugal. Separated by several decades, the three programs offer unique perspectives on themes related to the built environment, urbanization and architecture at specific moments in Portuguese democracy. This paper recalls television's historical role in shaping a more public and participatory dimension of architecture, which was instrumental to building a robust democratic society. In the current era of social media and its associated perils, this paper aims to understand how broadcasting can still serve today as a mediating tool between architects and society at large, and how the televisual image can help to promote architectural actions more closely aligned with societal challenges.

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