Media Development Foundation, MDF presents further monitoring results. Today we hand in two reports that have been prepared on the basis of implemented monitoring by the invited experts of Media Development Foundation, MDF. The goal of the monitoring is evaluating of implementation of the Law on Advertising by Georgian TV companies. The reports are prepared within the frames of the project – "Media Monitoring – for Professional Media” (supported by "Open Society – Georgia Foundation, OSGF). The goal of the monitoring implemented during October-November, 2011 by the expert George Mgeladze was the monitoring of TV advertising and determining the compliance of the length of commercial advertisements aired by broadcasters with the law. The monitoring has been re-implemented and the tendency for improvement was identified. However it became clear that the part of TV companies continues the tradition of violating the Law on Advertising. (see details below in the report "Advertising in Media”).

The goal of the monitoring implemented during September-October, 2011 by the expert Ketevan Mskhiladze was revealing the elements of hidden advertising in TV media. We should remind you that the term "hidden advertising” by the European media-regulation refers to such audio-visual communication of commercial/marketing character that is aimed at advertising and is not clearly separated from editorial material. Such communication is included directly in editorial material and is aired outside of advertising time i.e. commercial cuts. Any regulation European, as well as Georgian, demands the separation of advertising from editorial material. Advertising disguised in news being one of the widely spread forms of hidden advertising the monitoring focused on the informational news programs of TV companies. The main informational news of five TV companies – 1st Channel, TV Imedi, Rustavi 2, Maestro and Kavkasia have been selected for the objects of observation. According to the report the monitoring has been implemented during a month – from September 12 to October 12, 2011. During the monitoring 11 stories carrying the elements of hidden advertising have been revealed. The informational news of the TV Imedi and Rustavi 2 – each containing five such stories, and one in informational news of 1st Channel. (see details in the report "Hidden Advertising in TV Media”).