Latvian drug maker Grindeks is 6th largest Western advertiser on Belarusian TV

RIGA - Three Latvian pharmaceutical companies are advertising their products on Belarussian propaganda TV channels, with Grindex ranking the sixth largest Western advertiser on Belarus state television, a survey by Libereco-Partnership for Human Rights and the Professional Union of Belarusians in Britain (PUBB). 

From November 15 to 21, independent Belarusian observers monitored and evaluated the commercial breaks of the three state TV channels Belarus 1, ONT and CTV from 7 to 10 p.m.

Results of the monitoring show that out of a total of 960 commercials, 58 percent were placed by Western companies.

By comparison, Belarusian companies ran only 30 percent of all spots. Companies from Russia, Ukraine, India, South Korea and several other countries account for the remaining 12 percent of commercials.

The most commercials are placed by Mars (61, USA), Procter and Gamble (51, USA), Henkel (47, Germany) and Sanofi (45, France). These are followed by Queisser Pharma (30, Germany). 

With 28 commercials aired during the monitoring, Latvian pharmaceutical company Grindeks ranked sixth largest Western advertiser on Belarusian TV channels. 

Other Western companies advertising on Belarusian TV included Colgate-Palmolive (27, USA), PepsiCo (25, USA), Dr. Theiss Naturwaren (23, Germany) and Sandoz (22, Switzerland). 

In addition to these top ten corporations, 19 other Western companies – including GlaxoSmithKline (UK), Jacobs (Netherlands), A1 (Austria), and Danone (France) – ran another 199 commercials.

One in three commercials comes from companies in EU countries, among which Germany has the largest share, accounting for half of all such spots. While 18 percent of the commercials are placed by U.S. companies, British companies account for 4 percent and corporations from Switzerland for 3 percent.

Western countries accuse Belarus' dictator Alexander Lukashenko of massive human rights violations, violent oppression of his political opponents and journalists, as well as causing  a migration crisis at the EU border.

Belarusian state TV channels spread targeted disinformation, for instance, consistently casting Poland and the EU as inhumane and aggressive regimes.