Article 47. Television and Radio Broadcasting Organizations and Print Media Used for Informational Support of Elections and Referendums
1. The informational support of elections and referendums of the respective levels shall be provided by means of state, municipal and non-state TV and radio broadcasting organizations and print media.
2. In this Federal Law, state TV and radio broadcasting organizations and state print media outlets shall mean TV and radio broadcasting organizations and print media outlets which are founded (co-founded) or the editorial offices of which are founded (co-founded) by state bodies and organizations and/or which, a year before the day of the official publication of the decision to call the election, the referendum, received state support in the form of subsidies and/or subventions for their current functioning from the federal budget, budget of a subject of the Russian Federation and/or which have a charter capital where the state has a stake as of the day of the official publication of the decision to call the election, the referendum.
3. In this Federal Law, municipal TV and radio broadcasting organizations and print media outlets hall mean TV and radio broadcasting organizations and print media outlets which are founded (co-founded) or the editorial offices of which are founded (co-founded) by municipal bodies and organizations and/or which, a year before the day of the official publication of the decision to call the election, the referendum, received municipal support in the form of subsidies and/or subventions for their current functioning from the local budget and/or which have a charter capital where the municipality has a stake as of the day of the official publication of the decision to call the election, the referendum.
4. In this Federal Law, non-state TV and radio broadcasting organizations and print media shall mean TV and radio broadcasting organizations and print media outlets which do not fall within Clauses 2 and 3 of this article.
5. In this Federal Law, depending on their coverage or information distribution area, state TV and radio broadcasting organizations and print media outlets are divided into:
a) national TV and radio broadcasting organizations, i.e. TV and radio organizations which have a broadcasting license covering the territory of a half or more than a half of Russian Federation subjects;
b) regional TV and radio broadcasting organizations, i.e., TV and radio broadcasting organizations which have a broadcasting license covering less than a half of Russian Federation subjects, as well as relevant divisions of the TV and radio broadcasting organizations referred to in sub-Clause a) of this Clause;
c) national print media outlets registered for distribution in a half or more than a half of Russian Federation subjects;
d) regional print media outlets registered for distribution in less than a half of Russian Federation subjects.
6. Print media outlets founded by legislative (representative), executive and judicial bodies of state power, bodies of local self-government exclusively for the publication of their official documents and reports, regulations and other acts shall not publish any propaganda materials and materials highlighting the activity of candidates, electoral associations, electoral blocs, referendum initiative groups.
7. A list of state and/or municipal TV and radio broadcasting organizations and state and/or municipal print media outlets that must provide their air time, space in print media for election campaigning materials, referendum campaigning materials shall be published by the commission organizing the election, referendum, or a lower commission specified by law at the request of the relevant executive bodies of state power that implement the state policy in the field of mass media, bodies of local self-government.
