Representatives of the Communications Commission held a working meeting with lawyers, marketing service employees and producers of TV Pirveli on the subject of product placement rules. The meeting served to raise awareness among TV representatives about product placement violations, as well as to discuss in detail the legal framework and product placement guidelines developed by ComCom. The aim of the consultations was to eliminate product placement violations in Georgian television space and protect consumer rights. 

During the meeting, ComCom representatives and TV Pirveli employees discussed examples of product placement violations, and how products should be placed without violation. Furthermore, they talked about the harm done to the viewers by covert advertising and by attaching excessive importance to products. ComCom representatives gave exhaustive answers to questions from TV employees and reminded the participants to use the transitional period until January 2025 to bring their work, approaches and client contracts in compliance with the law. At the end of the given period, the Commission will start enforcing the law with strictness and apply sanctions in case of any violations. 

In May this year, ComCom held a conference titled “TV Advertising Market Challenges – Product Placement.” During the event, the Commission presented to the media representatives and interested parties the research and the results of the study on product placement conducted with the EU media expert Jean-Francois Fournemont. The research established that although the Georgian legislation was in compliance with European standards, product placement rules were being grossly violated by TV stations on a daily basis. The study also showed that the law and the approach of the respective regulatory commissions to product placement violations was very strict in all EU countries. The event was attended by Principal of the Broadcasting and Online Content Group at Ofcom, Suzanne Wright, and Head of Legal Division at the Radio and Television Commission of Lithuania (RTCL), Vadim Gasperskij, who provided an overview of the approaches and practices in their countries. During the event, the Commission also announced its decision to afford TV stations a transitional period until the end of the year, during which the Commission will not apply sanctions, but will carry out media monitoring and hold discussions with all interested TV stations on product placement violations and the ways to eliminate them. After the end of the transition period, the Commission will start applying appropriate sanctions in response to the violations, just as it happens in other European countries. 

The Communications Commission has already held working meetings with Rustavi 2, Imedi, BMG, PosTV and TV Pirveli. In order to effectively enforce the law, the Commission is ready to hold consultations with any other interested television stations to ensure that all broadcasters will effectively enforce the law from next year.