The Broadcasting Coordination Council (BCC) penalized a number of TV channels for not observing the legal provisions concerning advertising. The violations included mainly hidden publicity and longer advertising than allowed. The TV channels were fined and warned publicly, IPN reports.

The broadcasting regulator monitored the following channels: Moldova 1, Prime, Canal 3, 2Plus, N 4, Publika TV, TV 7, PRO TV CHIŞINĂU, CTC Mega, Jurnal TV, Bravo, Muz TV, TVC 21, NOROC, Busuioc TV, RU-TV MOLDOVA, ALT TV, and Euro TV.

The public TV channel Moldova 1 violated repeatedly the advertising rules, but it was only warned publicly because it committed an irregularity of the same kind, compared with other channels that committed different violations. TV7 was fined because it broadcast advertisements for one brand for more than two times during an hour. The presentation of the sponsor at the end of the channel’s program “Politics” was also considered a violation.

Under a BCC decision, the sponsoring of news bulletins and political programs is banned. But the Council’s chairman Marian Pocaznoi said the given decision will be amended so as to allow sponsoring the political programs.

A number of channels didn’t broadcast the message promoting a healthy lifestyle, which is mandatory after every block of advertisements for food products. For such a violation, Prime TV, 2Plus, Canal 3, Muz TV and RU-TV Moldova were warned publicly, while Prime was fined a minimum of 1,800 lei.

Pro TV was warned publicly for not removing the adverts from a retransmitted Romanian program. Jurnal TV was also warned publicly.

Publika TV, Noroc and Busuioc TV committed no irregularity during the monitoring.