RTA was founded in 1996 by Ottavio Ermini, but was acquired by a group of French businessmen in 1997, including Gilbert Binny,[1] later to Edgar Razafindravahy, a local businessman.[2] RTA relayed TVAfrica, the barter syndication network, when it existed in the early 2000s,[3] and, on 3 December 1999, joined RFO Réunion and the Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation in providing content for a newly-launched regional satellite channel, Télévision Océan Indien.[4] Ermini, which had briefly controlled the channel shortly after founding, died of mysterious circumstances in 2002.[1] As of May 2002, it operated stations in Antananarivo (head station), Antsirabe, Tamatave and Majunga, all of which producing their news bulletins.[5] In 2003, it took part in the creation of a new regional television channel, King TV, from Mauritius.[6]
One of its characteristics since launch was the lack of a traditional newscast, instead relying on news flashes covering certain events. Its entertainment programming, such as Pazzapa, made the station famous.[1] By 2007, Razafinravahy took over the control of RTA, aligning it with his print and radio assets. His takeover also implied the creation of a full newscast.[1]
In 2010, RTA launched three initiatives, the Miss Madagascar beauty pageant, which hadn't been held for a long period, a talent competition named Vox Pop, slightly different from Pazzapa, and Tout'Ar, a magazine on the arts scene.[7] On 1 April 2011, RTA moved its western office from Ampasika to Mahajanga. This was as part of a gradual refurbishing of its offices across Madagascar. Antananarivo had done so in March and Toamasina was expected to follow by the end of April.[8]