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Article 50
 
Article 50. General Conditions of Election, Referendum Campaigning on the Channels of TV and Radio Broadcasting Organizations and in Print Media
1. State and municipal TV and radio broadcasting organizations and editorial offices of state and municipal print media outlets shall ensure equal conditions for election campaigning for registered candidates, electoral associations, electoral blocs, including presentation of their election programs to voters, and for the referendum initiative group, equal conditions for campaigning on the referendum questions in accordance with the procedure established by this Federal Law, another law. Air time on channels of the said TV and radio broadcasting organizations and space in print media shall be provided to registered candidates, electoral associations, electoral blocs, the referendum initiative group and other referendum participant groups for a charge, and, in cases and in accordance with the procedure established by this Federal Law, another law, free of charge as well (free air time, free space in print media).
2. Registered candidates, electoral associations, electoral blocs shall not be entitled to use free air time, free space in print media provided to them for campaigning in favor of other registered candidates, other electoral associations, electoral blocs. This shall not apply to campaigning by registered candidates nominated by an electoral association, electoral bloc, or by an electoral association, electoral bloc that nominated these candidates, in favor of candidates nominated by the same electoral association, electoral bloc.
3. If more than one election campaign, referendum campaign is conducted simultaneously on the same territory, and the periods of campaigning on TV and radio channels and in print media of such campaigns coincide, the total amount of free air time and free space in print media shall not be increased without consent of the TV and radio broadcasting organization, the editorial office of the print media outlet.
4. Non-state TV and radio broadcasting organizations and editorial offices of non-state print media outlets that were founded not later than a year before the commencement of the election campaign, referendum campaign, and non-state TV and radio broadcasting organizations and editorial offices of non-state print media that were founded later than a year before the commencement of the election campaign, referendum campaign by electoral associations, shall be entitled to provide their air time, space in print media to registered candidates, electoral associations, electoral blocs, the referendum initiative group, other groups of referendum participants. Other non-state TV and radio broadcasting organizations and editorial offices of non-state print media outlets shall not be entitled to provide their air time, space in print media to registered candidates, electoral associations, electoral blocs, the referendum initiative group, other groups referendum participant.
5. The terms of payment for the air time, space in print media provided by non-state TV and radio broadcasting organizations and editorial offices of non-state print media outlets shall be the same for all registered candidates, electoral associations, electoral blocs, the referendum initiative groups, other referendum participant groups. This requirement shall not apply to the editorial offices of non-state print media founded by candidates, electoral associations, citizens who are members of the referendum initiative group.
6. At an election, information about the rates charged (in the Russian Federation currency) for air time, space in print media and other terms of payment shall be published by a relevant TV and radio broadcasting organization, editorial office of a print media outlet not later than 30 days after the day of the official publication of the decision to call the election, and submitted, within the same period, to the election commission organizing the election or a lower commission specified by law together with a notice of readiness to provide air time, space in print media for election campaigning. At a referendum, such information shall be published and provided to the relevant referendum commission by the TV and radio broadcasting organization, editorial office of a print media outlet not later than one day before the first campaigning material is published thereby.
7. Non-state TV and radio broadcasting organizations, editorial offices of non-state print media outlets, editorial offices of state print media outlets that publish new issues less frequently than once a week, specialized TV and radio broadcasting organizations and editorial offices of specialized print media outlets (cultural, educational, children-oriented, technical, scientific, etc.), and at an election of federal bodies of state power, bodies of state power of subjects of the Russian Federation, at a referendum of the Russian Federation, a referendum of a subject of the Russian Federation, as well as municipal TV and radio broadcasting organizations and editorial offices of municipal print media shall be entitled to refuse to provide air time, space in print media for election campaigning, referendum campaigning. The failure to provide to the relevant commission a notice referred to in Clause 6 of this article by the time specified in the said Clause shall be regarded as such refusal.
8. Mass media organizations shall maintain separate records of the amount and cost of the air time and space in print media provided for election campaigning, referendum campaigning in the format and in accordance with the procedure established by the relevant commission.
9. Mass media organizations shall keep the records of free and paid provision of air time and space in print media referred to in Clause 8 of this article for at least three years after voting day.
10. Costs of state and municipal TV and radio broadcasting organizations and editorial offices of state and municipal print media incurred in the provision of free air time and free space in print media for election campaigning, referendum campaigning shall be accounted for in the operational results of these organizations and editorial offices.
11. Free and paid air time on the channels of TV and radio broadcasting organizations and space in print media shall be provided for election campaigning, referendum campaigning under written contracts between a TV and radio broadcasting organization, the editorial office of a print media outlet and candidates, electoral associations, electoral blocs, representatives of the referendum initiative group entered into before such air time, space in print media are provided.
12. If more than one election campaign is conducted in the same territory at the same time, and the periods of campaigning on TV and radio channels and in print media of such campaigns are the same, a registered candidate nominated in more than one election district for different elections shall be entitled to receive free air time in state and municipal TV and radio broadcasting organizations and free space in state and municipal print media in the amount that does not exceed the amount to which he is entitled at the election of a higher (highest) level.