The electoral campaign on private radio and television stations
1. Private radio and television broadcasters cover the electoral campaign only during normal and special news programmes. Private radio and television broadcasters do not put airtime at the disposal of political subjects for covering their electoral campaign.
2. During normal and special news programmes, private radio and television broadcasters must respect the following conditions:
a) the political airtime of the news programmes of private radio and television broadcasters is distributed in the time proportions established by point 1 of article 81 of this Code. In case of a violation coverage proportions in favour of one party, the CEC, on its own initiative or upon the proposal of the CEAZ, fines a local radio/television broadcaster ALL 1 500 000 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting FREE 1 500 000 end_of_the_skype_highlighting and a national broadcaster ALL 3 000.000. The CEC decision constitutes an executive title and is executed by the bailiff’s office. An appeal against the decision does not suspend its execution. In case of a repetition of the violation, the CEC orders the NCRT [National Council of Radio and Television] to block the transmission of the radio/television broadcaster for 48 hours. The transmission is blocked not later than 1800 of the following day;
b) airtime for government activities that are related to the electoral campaign is included in the time of the party to which the head of the institution that organizes the activity belongs;
c) in covering the activities of non-parliamentary parties and candidates proposed by voters, private radio and television broadcasters apply professional criteria for news, with the condition that the time at their disposal be no greater than the time allocated to the parliamentary parties.
ç) propaganda, political comments or stances by journalists are prohibited during news programmes. In case of a violation, the CEC fines the local radio/television broadcaster ALL 1 000.000 and the national radio/television broadcaster ALL 2 500 000. The decision of the CEC constitutes an executive title and is executed by the bailiff’s office. An appeal against the decision does not suspend its execution. In case of a repetition of the violation, the CEC orders the NCRT to block the transmission of the radio/television broadcaster for 48 hours. The transmission is blocked no later than 1800 of the following day.
3. Private radio and television broadcasters have the right to organize electoral debates between competing political parties or candidates. In organizing and holding the debate, private radio and television broadcasters are obliged to keep a balance between political parties in the debate. In case of a violation, the CEC orders the NCRT to block the transmission of the radio/television broadcaster for 48 hours. The transmission is blocked not later than 1800 of the following day.
4. Only those electoral subjects registered for elections are entitled to broadcast political advertisements during the electoral period on private radio, television or audiovisual media, be they digital, cable, analogue, satellite or any other form or method of signal transmission. Political advertisements of electoral coalitions are measured within the time of the political parties that are members of the coalition according to an individual agreement between each party and the radio or television operator.
5. The total airtime for political advertisements during the entire election campaign on each private radio and television station may not be more than 45 minutes for each party that has obtained up to 20 percent of the seats in the Assembly and 90 minutes for each party that has obtained more than 20 percent of the seats in the Assembly. In any case, radio and television operators are to apply the same fees for the same time slot.
6. For elections to the Assembly, private national and satellite radio and television broadcasters that accept paid advertisements in accordance with this article are obliged to make available free of charge to the electoral subjects half of the total airtime for advertising provided in point 5 of this article. The cost for making the free airtime available to the electoral subjects by private radio and television broadcasters, is calculated as a deductible expense for tax purposes. The CEC, the NCRT and the Minister of Finance are in charge for issuing the respective instructions.
7. Political advertisements of electoral subjects are broadcasted between the time intervals from 1500 until 1800 and from 2100 until 2400 of the daily programme.
8. Advertisements for candidates for mayor of local government units are included in the time of the political subject they represent. Advertisements of public institutions are included in the time of the political subject to which the head of the institution belongs.
9. Private radio and television broadcasters make available extra airtime for the advertisements of non-parliamentary parties and candidates proposed by the voters, in addition to the airtime applied according to point 5 of this article. The airtime for the advertisements of each non-parliamentary party and candidates proposed by voters must not exceed 10 minutes for the entire electoral campaign. For non-parliamentary parties and for candidates proposed by the voters, the same rates as for parliamentary parties as well as the same criteria for the free time in accordance with point 6 of this article are to be applied. In case of a violation, the CEC fines a local broadcaster ALL 2. 000.000 and a national broadcaster ALL 3 500 000. The decision of CEC constitutes an executive title and is executed by the bailiff’s office. An appeal against the decision does not suspend its execution.
In case a violation, the CEC orders the NCRT to block the transmission of the radio/television broadcaster for 48 hours. The transmission is blocked not later than 1800 of the following day.
