The National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) has sanctioned the RTVE Corporation with a fine of 405,000 euros for a continued serious violation by considering that the design of the sandwich test of the ‘Grand Prix’ competition It was linked to the sponsorship of a company.

The resolution, dated October 31 and which can only be appealed to the National Court, refers to the three programs broadcast on August 22 and 28 and September 4, 2023, and responds to a complaint filed by the Union of Open Commercial Televisions association (UTECA).

Grand Prix is ​​a competition program in which two towns face each other in various tests. In this case, the object of the complaint was the ‘sandwich test’, in which the contestants had to make as many ham sandwiches as they could.

The CNMC determines that the sponsorship requirements established in the Audiovisual Communication Law were violated, since there was a relationship between the test and the sponsorship of a program space, which was contracted by the Interporc company.

That is, the CNMC maintains that the sponsorship led to the design of the ham sandwich preparation test within the program.

And he adds that during the broadcast of those three programs, the test was included and, then, The telepromotion was broadcast in which the sponsor and the test product itself were advertised..

The CNMC also cites, in its resolution, the three press releases that the company had published on its website about this sponsorship, and which made reference to the sandwich test of the television contest.

This body does not respond to the allegations of the Corporation, which denied that there was a relationship between the test and the sponsorship, and defended that the presence of ham sandwiches in this program is not unusual in this contest.