Ofcom finds MATV in breach again over advertising on laptop during news programme
Ofcom has once again found MATV in breach of its broadcasting regulations, following a recurrence of issues previously identified in January 2025.
On two separate occasions, reported in April and May 2025, Ofcom observed multiple instances during the transmission of the programme ‘Aaj Ka Samachar’ in which the rear of the newsreader’s laptop prominently displayed the branding and logo of “Wonder Cement”.
MATV claimed that the programme was an unedited live feed sourced directly from the Indian national broadcaster Doordarshan, which had produced the segment. The broadcaster further stated there was “no contract of any type with Door Darshan [sic], as it is a free service provided to the Indian diaspora”.
In its response, MATV asserted that the presence of the Wonder Cement branding did not constitute advertising, describing it merely as “a name”. It added that there is neither a distributor nor a commercial agreement for Wonder Cement within the United Kingdom, thereby dismissing any suggestion of promotional intent.
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MATV went on to state that the logo has now been removed at its request, noting that it maintains “full control over what needs to be broadcast and what not”.
Ofcom, however, considered the visible presence of the company name and logo throughout the programme to be without editorial justification, and MATV did not offer any adequate rationale for its inclusion. As such, Ofcom concluded that the references to Wonder Cement were unduly prominent, thereby breaching Rule 9.5 of the Broadcasting Code.
A similar violation was recorded by Ofcom on 20 January 2025, and while the regulator acknowledges the corrective action now taken by the licensee, it remains concerned that sufficient measures were not implemented to prevent recurrence. Consequently, Ofcom has invited MATV to attend a compliance meeting to review its procedures in relation to Section Nine of the Code.
