A fine of HUF 8.12 million was levied for improper product placement, and for violating the rules governing the sponsoring of programmes

The NMHH (National Media and Infocommunications Authority’s) Media Council has levied a fine on the Media Service Provider of TV2, in the above specified total amount, for a violation of the rules applicable to product placements and to the sponsoring of media programmes. The infringement established by NMHH effectively took place during Q1 2017, when TV2 published a segment titled “Smart tips” during its programme broadcasted titled “Stahl’s kitchen”. Although at the start of the programme, TV2 properly warned the audience about the fact that product placement is expected to take place during the programme, in the Media Council’s view, the programme inserted a placement of a specific dishwasher machine cleaner brand on a total of 14 occasions during the programme, with too much emphasis given, for quite long time periods, and putting the brand in the spotlight, thus violating the rules imposed on product placements by Mttv. In addition to that, the Media Council also established the fact that the programme has attempted to directly motivate the audience to buy the sponsor’s particular brand during the programme on multiple occasions, which was established to also be a violation of the sponsorship rules laid down by Smtv.