Home > 1.3.1.1.3 Surveys > SLOVAKIA - Act on Elections to the National Council
 
 
 
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Section 24
 

Broadcasting of political advertisements and placing of election posters


(1) Slovak Radio[14] and Slovak Television[15] shall allocate each contesting party or coalition not more than thirty minutes of broadcasting time and shall allocate in total not more than ten hours of broadcasting time for political advertisements. The right to broadcasting time must be exercised not later than five days before the start of broadcasting of political advertisements or it shall expire. A political party or coalition shall be responsible for the content of its broadcast. Slovak Radio and Slovak Television shall ensure clear  designation and separation of such a broadcast from other programmes by airing an announcement that it is a paid broadcast.


(2) Slovak Radio and Slovak Television shall allocate in addition to the broadcasting time pursuant to subsection (1) ten hours of broadcasting time for discussion programmes.


(3) A broadcaster authorised to broadcast under a licence[16] (in this Act referred to as a "licensed broadcaster") may  allocate each contesting party or coalition not more than thirty minutes of broadcasting time and may allocate in total not more than ten hours of broadcasting time for political advertisements. A political party or coalition shall be responsible for the content of its broadcast. A licensed broadcaster shall ensure clear designation and separation of such a broadcast from other programmes by airing an announcement that it is a paid broadcast.


(4) Slovak Radio, Slovak Television and any licensed broadcaster shall allocate broadcasting time pursuant to subsections (1) to (3) equally between the contesting political parties or coalitions and in such a way that no political party or coalition is prejudiced by the allocation.


(5) A licensed broadcaster may broadcast discussion programmes with representatives of contesting political parties or coalitions in a period pursuant to subsection (8) and in addition to programmes pursuant to subsection (10) where the inclusion of such programmes into the programme structure for this period has been approved by the Council of Broadcasting and Retransmission[17] (in this Act referred to as "the Council"). A licensed broadcaster shall submit a project for discussion programmes to the Council not later than thirty days before their broadcasting begins and the project shall include a system for selecting participants in the programmes which does not prejudice any political party or coalition. The inclusion of such programmes shall not be deemed a change to programme services.[18]


(6) Any dispute concerning equality in the allocation or scheduling of political advertisements, or participation in discussion programmes, shall be resolved by the Central Electoral Commission. Its decision in such a matter shall be binding.


(7) The costs of a political advertisement broadcast by Slovak Radio, Slovak Television or a licensed broadcaster shall be met by the respective political party or coalition. Slovak Radio, Slovak Television or a licensed broadcaster shall provide for all contesting political parties or coalitions running in the election equal conditions for the purchase of broadcasting time as well as equal price and payment conditions. 


(8) Broadcasting of political advertisements shall begin twenty-one days before polling day.


(9) A political advertisement may not be broadcast during the broadcasting time on radio or television reserved for advertisements. The time provided for the broadcast of a political advertisement shall not be restricted by the time limit  for the broadcast of an advertisement pursuant to a separate provision.[19]


(10) A news or journalistic programme shall not be deemed to be a political advertisement where it is in accordance with the programme services and it is broadcast in a manner and circumstances which are the same as for the time outside the period pursuant to subsection (8).


(11) Apart from news or journalistic programmes pursuant to subsections (2), (5) and (10) and political advertisements pursuant to subsections (1) and (3), broadcasting which could influence the casting of votes to the benefit or detriment of a running political party or coalition is forbidden. 


(12) For the infringement of rules on the broadcasting of political advertisements pursuant to this Act, sanctions shall be imposed pursuant to a separate law.[20]


(13) A municipality shall designate places where election posters and other bearers of information may from twenty-one days before polling day be put up; such a  designated place must comply with the principle of equality for contesting political parties or coalitions. 


(14) It is forbidden to publish the results of electoral opinion polls on the day of polling for the period up to the end of polling.