Sweden’s media regulator has sanctioned commercial broadcaster TV4 after an episode of the talent show Idol featured promotional supplements and advertising-focused presentations.
Under rules set by Mediemyndigheten broadcasters are required to inform viewers about sponsorship through messages featuring the sponsor’s name, logo or hallmark. The messages themselves shouldn’t contain any commercial activity.
During Idol, sponsorship messages were shown featuring six different sponsors before and during the broadcast of the programme. The Review Board sanctioned the programme because of the design of five of the sponsorship messages.
The Board found that qualifications to the messages – what was said in addition to the sponsor’s name – did not help to identify the sponsor and were themselves promotional.
Furthermore, the Board also considered that the framing of several sponsorship messages – what was visible in the picture – was an advertising-oriented presentation. In addition to the sponsors’ logos and the products’ packaging, sweets and snacks and products were seen flying around in the air in different ways.
The Board will apply to the Administrative Court for TV4 to be charged a special fee of SEK 150,000 per sponsor, a total of SEK 750,000.
