The statutory term is not “sponsorship” but programme sponsorship (program desteklemesi). Article 12 governs how that support is disclosed, in which programmes it is prohibited and what the sponsor may not do.
Four moments of disclosure
Article 12/1: “Where a programme has been sponsored in whole or in part, this shall be indicated with appropriate wording at the beginning of the programme, on entering and leaving the advertising breaks within the programme, and at the end of the programme.”
| Moment | Disclosure | Note |
|---|---|---|
| At the beginning of the programme | Required | The fact of sponsorship is stated |
| Entering an advertising break | Required | For each break |
| Leaving an advertising break | Required | For each break |
| At the end of the programme | Required | — |
In a programme with two advertising breaks the count rises to six: one at the start, four across the two breaks, one at the end. The disclosure on leaving the break is the one most often forgotten in practice.
No reference to the sponsor in trailers
The last sentence of Article 12/1 sets a clear prohibition: “No reference may be made to the sponsor of the programme in programme trailers.” A promotional spot saying “Tomorrow evening, with the contributions of Brand X…” is therefore contrary to the Law. Sponsorship is disclosed in the programme itself, not in its trailer.
No references to products, no encouragement
Article 12/2: “In sponsored programmes, no reference may be made to the goods and services of the sponsor or of a third party, and their purchase, sale and rental may not be encouraged.”
Article 12/5 repeats the prohibition for the moment of disclosure: when sponsorship is indicated, “the rental or purchase of the products or services of the sponsor may not be directly encouraged and there may be no undue prominence given to the products or services”.
- The sponsor’s name, brand and logo may appear in the disclosure.
- The features, price or a call to purchase may not.
- No reference may be made to the sponsor’s goods and services within the programme.
Who may not sponsor
| Who | Rule | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Persons engaged in the production or sale of goods and services whose commercial communication is prohibited | May not sponsor programmes | Art. 12/3 |
| Persons producing, marketing or selling medicinal products, or marketing or providing medical treatments | May sponsor; their name, brand, logo or image may be used, but prescription medicinal products or medical treatments may not | Art. 12/3 |
The first group connects to Article 11: under Article 11/1 commercial communication is not permitted in any way for alcohol and tobacco products, and under Article 11/2 it may not be made about prescription medicines and treatments. Producers and sellers of those products therefore cannot sponsor a programme.
Where sponsorship is prohibited
Article 12/4 closes two programme types: “Programme sponsorship shall not be permitted in news bulletins and religious ceremony broadcasts.”
Editorial independence
The opening sentence of Article 12/5 is the core of the regime: “Programme sponsorship shall not be permitted to affect the editorial independence and responsibility of the media service provider.” A sponsor intervening in programme content, guest selection or news language breaches this provision. The same principle is repeated for product placement in Article 13/3.