Conditions for Allocation of Paid Airtime for Conduct of Election Campaign on TV and Radio.
81.1. The election campaign on TV and Radio companies not considered by Articles 77.1 and 77.4 of this Code shall start in accordance with the contract signed with TV and Radio companies.
81.2. TV and Radio companies considered by Article 77.1 of this Code should keep airtime in reserve for conduct of paid election campaign. Candidates for membership of municipality and referendum campaigning groups members of which are more than 20,000 cannot use this airtime. The amount and terms of payment should be equal for all registered candidates, political parties, blocks of political parties, referendum campaigning groups and relevant information about this should be published at latest within 50 days after the decision on determination of election day is officially published. Total volume of airtime for paid purposes reserved by each TV and Radio companies cannot be less or twice more than the total volume of free airtime allocated in conformity with Article 80.5 of this Code.
81.3. Norms of usage of airtime reserved for paid purposes for each registered candidate, political party, block of political parties, referendum campaigning groups shall be defined by dividing its total volume by total number of registered candidates.
81.4 Airtime mentioned in Article 81.2 of this Code should be presented by TV and Radio companies within the period mentioned in Article 80.4. of this Code. The time and date of election campaign products to be aired shall be determined by TV and Radio companies based on results of lottery conducted in the presence of authorized representatives of candidates, political parties, blocks of political parties and referendum campaigning groups who have submitted relevant notification. The lottery should be conducted within the period determined by Article 80.4 of this Code. Airtime shall be presented on the basis of a contract signed after the conduct of the lottery.
81.5. If a registered candidate, political party, block of political parties or referendum campaigning group refuse to use airtime after the lottery has been conducted, they should inform the relevant TV and Radio companies about this 2 days prior to the day of air. TV and Radio companies shall decide themselves on how to use the vacant airtime for the purposes other than election campaign.
81.6. Allocation of airtime on TV and Radio companies not considered by Articles 77.1 and 77.4 of this Code for registered candidates, political parties, blocks of political parties, referendum campaigning groups and its payment shall be performed on an equal basis and conditions. TV and Radio companies that do not observe these requirements and requirements of Article 78.2 of this Code cannot allocate airtime for election campaign purposes for registered candidates, political parties, blocks of political parties and referendum campaigning groups.
81.7. The contract on allocation of paid airtime should consider the following:
81.7.1. method of election campaign;
81.7.2. time and date of airtime;
81.7.3. period of airtime provided, its terms and amount of payment;
81.7.4. After fulfilment of the agreement indicating the form and conditions of participation of a leading journalist, an act on using of air-time with indication of the list of programs, name of the program and its broadcasting time shall be drawn up.
81.8. A registered candidate, political party, block of political parties, referendum campaign group should submit the payment order on transferring full amount of money for airtime to the relevant bank at least 48 hours prior to the day or air. The relevant bank should transfer money immediately after it gets the payment order. Period of bank transfer should not be more than two banking days.
81.9. Payment for cost of airtime should be paid from the election fund of a registered candidate, political party, block of political parties and from the pre-election financial fund (hereafter referred to as election fund) of referendum campaigning groups.
81.10. If a registered candidate, political party, block of political parties and referendum campaigning group violate conditions defined by this Code while using paid airtime, TV and Radio companies can appeal to the court for termination of the contract on allocation of airtime. TV and Radio companies shall not have the right to use that vacant time for election campaign purposes after termination of the contract.
