TV show fined for 'deceitful advertising'

The Broadcasting Authority has fined the popular television programme Tista' Tkun Int Lm500 for exceeding the 12-minute advertisement limit during two programmes, and for deceitful advertising in others.

After reviewing the recordings of the programmes broadcast on April 18 and May 2, 9 and 23, the authority concluded that there were occasions when there was deceitful advertising and when the 12-minute limit was exceeded.

The authority noted that this was not the first time that Tista' Tkun Int, aired on TVM, had been found guilty, and it therefore opted for an administrative fine.

The authority cautioned the programme Is-Sibt, also broadcast on TVM, over the April 10 episode in which deceitful advertising was detected.

The authority also found One News to be in breach of the Broadcasting Act when it carried a close-up shot of a victim of an accident at work on the April 20 news bulletin aired on Super 1 Television.

One News explained that it aired the close-up in the evening news when the accident took place in the morning and the police had had time to notify the victims' family. Moreover, the victims had been sent home from hospital later that day.

After hearing this explanation the authority decided that a fine was not appropriate and cautioned the station not to carry close-ups of victims.