Albania

[AL] Regulator decides to ban broadcasting of private university’s advertising spot

IRIS 2017-10:1/8

Ilda Londo

Albanian Media Institute

The Audiovisual Media Authority (AMA) issued a statement on September 16 demanding television stations to stop broadcasting an advertising spot for a private university. The advertising spot focused on a call for new student admissions for this academic year. The spot highlighted the quality of education offered in the private university, while at the same time comparing and criticizing the quality of education offered in public universities.

According to the regulator AMA, this advertisement provided information that was not necessarily true and stifled fair competition. AMA’s statement read that the content of the advertising spot openly infringes upon consumer rights, providing them with information on the private institution, while scorning the public education system in the country. As a result, the regulator instructed the television stations to immediately stop broadcasting this advertising spot, which was of an unfair commercial nature, as it openly targeted another competitor by identifying and downgrading it.