Rabat – The TV channel 2M has been fined MAD 3 million by the High Authority of Audiovisual Communication (HACA) for excessive broadcasting of commercials.
HACA penalized 2M for exaggerated and redundant broadcasting of commercials, exceeding the threshold authorized by the HACA for advertising on television, which is 16 minutes per hour.
The decision was published in the official bulletin on February 27.
For instance, HACA noted that 2M broadcasted on May 31, 2017, more than 27 minutes of advertising in one hour.
Similarly, on June 21, 2017, 2M diffused more than 23 minutes of advertising.
HACA also indicated that the TV channel exceeds the authorized interval between two advertisements, which is 20 minutes.
The most watched Moroccan TV channel in the country has successively aired two advertisements in 50-second intervals.
In total, the High Authority for Audiovisual Communication also said that 47 times 2M has exceeded the total duration of advertising allowed in one hour and 279 times the maximum period between two commercials, from May 27, 2016, to May 24, 2017.
HACA said that it had already warned 2M against the same overruns during the months of Ramadan of 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016.
The fine will weigh heavily on 2M as the Minister of Communication, Mohamed El Aaraj, indicated in late 2017 that the company has been suffering from a financial crisis since 2008.
Mohamed El Wafy, Secretary-General of the 2M Staff Union, said that the crisis began in 2008, “because the state gave no money to the channel, which was fatal.”
He indicated that in 2017 state aid to 2M has exceeded MAD 20 million, but the channel continues to suffer financially.
According to the figures of the HACA and Marocmétrie, 2M remains the first channel in viewership, accounting for 34 percent of market share, while the SNRT, with its 7 channels, accounts only for 13 percent.
