Lithuania

[LT] Radio and Television Commission of Lithuania further details requirements for broadcasting of advertising

IRIS 2021-4:1/7

Indre Barauskiene

TGS Baltic

The Radio and Television Commission of Lithuania (LRTK) has implemented new changes of the Law on Provision of Information to the Public of the Republic of Lithuania, which transposed Directive (EU) 2018/1808 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 November 2018 amending Directive 2010/13/EU on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the provision of audiovisual media services. The LRTK has supplemented and changed its former decision on the Requirements for audiovisual commercial communication, broadcasting of advertising and sponsorship of audiovisual media services, radio programs and individual radio and/or television programs (Reikalavimų komerciniams audiovizualiniams pranešimams ir reklamos transliavimui, radijo programų ir atskirų programų rėmimo radijo ir (ar) televizijos programose įgyvendinimo tvarkos aprašas (the Requirements)). This secondary law aims at setting detailed rules on the broadcast of advertising and sponsorship, its markings, terms and related requirements.

More detailed requirements for teleshopping

The Requirements have changed the regulation of Televitrina (teleshopping programs). Before the amendments Televitrina was defined as a program (show) for teleshopping spots, broadcast on television programs that were not exclusively for teleshopping. However, now Televitrina is considered to be a set of teleshopping spots that is broadcast as a separate program. Therefore, it must be marked during the broadcast.

The Requirements further detailed that the inclusion of teleshopping in programs for children is prohibited, as well as teleshopping for medicines and medical treatment services.

Additional requirements set for sponsorship

With regard to sponsorship, the new provisions state that only the following words defining sponsorship may be used in the sponsor's presentation: presents, sponsors, sponsor (pristato, remia, rėmėjas). The sponsor's presentation may be broadcast during the broadcast of the sponsored program, during the announcement of the sponsored program and / or during the broadcast of announcements of audiovisual media services and / or directly related ancillary products provided by the same broadcaster or other entities belonging to the same group of broadcasters.

Separation of advertising and general requirements of broadcasting time

In respect to radio advertising the Requirements detail that other means of separating the advertising spot from other parts of the program, such as the call sign of the radio program, may be used at the end of the advertising spot.

Television advertising and teleshopping must be inserted into programs, grouped together with at least two television advertising or teleshopping spots within a single advertising or teleshopping window, except where television advertising or teleshopping windows are longer than 40 seconds. The means of separating television advertising from teleshopping may be used singly or in combination at the choice of the television broadcaster. The television broadcaster must choose such means of separation of television advertising and teleshopping as are specified in the Description, which would properly inform the viewers about the nature of the information provided. In addition, the total time devoted to television advertising and teleshopping spots shall not include neutral frames used between editorial content and television advertising or teleshopping spots and between individual spots.

It is noted that in the case of children's programs, where a children's program consists of more than one audiovisual work, television advertising for these audiovisual works may be inserted once for each period of at least 30 minutes and only if their duration exceeds 30 minutes.

The total time devoted to television advertising and teleshopping spots shall not exceed 20 percent of the time between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. (i.e. not more than 2 hours 24 minutes in a 12-hour period) and shall not exceed 20 percent of the time between 6 p.m. and midnight (i.e. no more than 1 hour 12 minutes in a 6-hour period).

All these changes are valid since 5 February 2021.