Romania’s National Audiovisual Council (CNA) decided yesterday to sanction the broadcaster Kanal D with the maximum fine of RON 200,000 (EUR 44,290) for breaking the law on advertising duration, reports local Hotnews.ro.

For the same offense, Antena 3 was fined RON 25,000 (EUR 55,300), Realitatea TV received a fine of RON 10,000 (EUR 2,200) whereas B1 TV received just a public warning.

The broadcasters violated the provision that the share of advertising and teleshopping spots within an hour can’t exceed 20% or 12 minutes.

Radu Herjeu, CNA member, said that Kanal D exceeded the time allowed for advertising by four hours and 48 minutes between September and December last year. He estimates that Kanal D thus made undue revenues of about RON 1.3 million from selling more advertising than the legal limit.

Kanal D representative Catalin Baleanu said the broadcaster had an exemplary conduct, with the exception of November, when the sales department received a “disproportionately large number of advertising orders”.

Kanal D is the third-biggest broadcaster in Romania in terms of audience, after Pro TV and Antena 1. The TV station is owned by Turkish group Dogan.

Broadcasters in Romania fined for misinforming on protests

editor@romania-insider.com