Abstract :The impact of advertising as a financial source on media content is analysed in numerous scientific studies which show how financial logic prevails over the quality of information that is transmitted, the diversity of the category of programs that are broadcasted, etc. A constant challenge for media managers is maintenance of a balance between limited financial resources and costs for the production of quality media products. In this context, the study focuses on the impact of advertising with and without interruption of programming on the quality of media content during the COVID 19 period. Some of the research questions of this study are: How did the pandemics caused by COVID 19 affect the quality of the transmitted information? How is the advertising/programming ratio reflected in the audio-visual media? Are there other factors besides the pandemics that have contributed to the increase in advertising to the detriment of the programming, and if so, what are they? The study is based on the combination of quantitative and qualitative methods of scientific research. The analysis of empirical data obtained from the monitoring of the programming and central informative editions of the 12 main televisions in the country is combined with the interviews conducted with journalists and media managers. The study also includes periodic reports of the Audio-visual Media Authority (AMA) on the television offer. The findings of the study show that during COVID 19 Albanian televisions abused by increasing the time of advertisements for medical products (pharmaceutical advertisements) and with the transmission of covert advertisements. The increase of programs about health was accompanied by an increase in covert advertising or such forms as “product placement”, “paid post”, “advertorial”, etc. by negatively affecting the quality of information. Keywords : COVID 19, covert advertising, product placement, information quality
