AVROTROS makes double mistake with sponsoring Flikken series

The fictional cops in Flikken Maastricht drive around in Volvos and in Rotterdam in Alfa Romeos. That is no wonder, because those programs are sponsored by Volvo and Stellantis (the parent company of Alfa).

Every year, the broadcaster must report in the annual report which programs were sponsored and by whom, but the car manufacturers were not included in the overviews. Remarkable, because they are included in a register of the NPO. "We should have included that. That was not done in a careless way," says a spokesperson of the AVROTROS to RTL Z.

The sponsorship of the programs consists of making the vehicles available. After the recordings, the cars go back to the manufacturer.

However, sponsoring programs on public broadcasting is subject to strict conditions. Public broadcasting programs are not intended to serve a commercial interest.

The general rule is that if a company sponsors a program, the products may not be recognizable to the average viewer. A short mention before or after the program is allowed, but even then no products may be shown.

This also applies to products that have been given on loan. The rules for this are simple: "A contribution that has been given on loan may be shown, but not recognizably", the Commissariat for the Media - the supervisory authority for the media - states. In that case, there is not even formally sponsorship.

But the cars, including the brands, are clearly visible in both Flikken Maastricht and Flikken Rotterdam, the last season of which was broadcast in 2023. Viewers don't need to know anything about cars to see that Volvos and Alfas are on screen here.

According to the broadcaster, the sponsor's products are allowed to be shown if this is done 'naturally'. But the spokesperson admits that this is 'multi-interpretable'.

AVROTROS is not entirely happy about it. The broadcaster will 'look closely' at whether the sponsorship can continue in this way in the future, says the spokesperson. "It does have our attention."

The Media Authority does not make a statement about the specific case of Flikken, but does point out that it will take action if signals are received of violations of the Media Act. "Signals are carefully examined and it is determined whether further investigation is necessary." The supervisory authority can impose fines for violations of the Media Act.