RTÜK Reprimands NTV for Surreptitious Advertising

The Radio Television Supreme Council issued a reprimand to NTV for alleged "surreptitious advertising" on the program "Taste on my palate" broadcasted on 2 October 2010.

RTUK claims a violation of Article 21/5 of Law No. 3984 on the Establishment of Radio and Television Enterprises and Their Broadcasts ordering that "Surreptitious advertising shall not be allowed in any broadcast". The fine was issued to the NTV Radio and Television Publishing Company as the broadcaster of the program.

Alp: No advertising for a wine brand name

RTÜK member Hülya Alp voted against the decision given on 11 November. "There was no advertising for a wine brand name in the program. [The guest] Beyti Güler gave examples of local names of wines that suit meat dishes", Alp criticized.

Restaurant owner Beyti Güler said in an interview with gourmet Vedat Milor, "The wines made mainly from the Nebiole grape variety and from our Boğazkarası grapes are of good quality in my opinion". Alp pointed out that these words did not justify a warning.

"...The different sorts of world famous wine brands of Italian origin made from the nebbion grapes are sold for retail prices of up to 4,000 lira in meat restaurants. These wines cannot be marketed by restaurants. These wines are consumed by people with a special interest and do not need advertising anyways", Alp reasoned her differing opinion.

"We also have several kinds of 'Öküzgözü' and 'Boğazkarası' wines that are being produced under the brand names of many different companies. They are mentioned behind the brand name just to show the region and the kind of grapes the wine is made of. Piomont nebbion is also a name to indicate the sort of grapes the wine is made of. It is not a wine brand name".

Alp said that also Italian state subsidies for wine were emphasized in the interview and production factors for a good quality wine were mentioned. She said that this also had to be considered in the context. (EÖ/VK)