(in the version of Federal Law of July 21, 2005, # 93-FZ)

1. The informational support of elections and referendums of respective level shall be provided by means of state, municipal and non-state TV and radio broadcasting organizations, by editorial boards of state, municipal and non-state printed media.

2. In this Federal Law, state TV and radio broadcasting organizations and state printed media publications shall mean TV and radio broadcasting organizations and printed media publications which are founded (co-founded) or the editorial boards of which are founded (co-founded) as of the day of the official divulgation (publication) of the decision to call election, as of the official publication of the decision to call a referendum, 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 federal subject of the Russian Federation and/or which have an authorized capital where the Russian Federation and/or a federal subject/subjects of the Russian Federation have 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 municipal printed media publications shall mean TV and radio broadcasting organizations and printed media publications which are founded (co-founded) or the editorial boards of which are founded (co-founded) as of the day of the official divulgation (publication) of the decision to call election, as of the official publication of the decision to call a referendum, by self-government bodies and municipal 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 an authorized capital where a municipality/municipalities have 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 printed media shall mean TV and radio broadcasting organizations and printed media publications which do not fall within Sections 2 and 3 of this article.

5. In this Federal Law, function on their information distribution area, TV and radio broadcasting organizations and printed media publications 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, as well as TV and radio broadcasting organizations that issue the media (TV and radio programs) broadcasted on the basis of agreement by other TV and radio broadcasting companies in 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-Section a) of this Section; c) national printed media publications i.e. publications registered for distribution in a half or more than a half of Russian Federation subjects; d) regional printed media publications i.e. publications registered for distribution in less than a half of Russian Federation subjects.

6. Printed media publications founded by state bodies, bodies of local self-government exclusively for the publishing 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, referendum initiative groups.

7. A list of state and/or municipal TV and radio broadcasting organizations and state and/or municipal printed media publications that must provide their air time, space in printed media for election campaigning materials, referendum campaigning materials shall be published by the commission organizing the election, referendum, or a subordinated commission specified by law at the request of the relevant executive bodies of state power authorized to carry out mass media registration functions.

8. The list as stipulated in Section 7 of this Article shall be submitted to the respective commission no later than on the fifth day after the day of the official divulgation (publication) of the decision to call elections, of the official divulgation of the decision to call a referendum. The aforesaid list shall include the following information about each TV and radio broadcasting organization, each periodical printed media publication:

a) the name of the TV or radio broadcasting organization and of the respective mass media or periodical printed media publication;

b) the legal address of the TV or radio broadcasting organization or of the editorial board of the periodical printed media publication;

c) the founder/ founders of the TV or radio broadcasting organization or the founder/founders of the editorial board of the periodical printed media publication and of the periodical printed media publication;

d) the type and extent of the state (municipal) support (if any was provided in the year preceding the day of the official divulgation (publication) of the decision to call elections, the day of the official publication of the decision to call a referendum);

e) the share (contribution) of the Russian Federation, of the Russian Federation federal subjects, municipal formations in the authorized (share) capital (if any as of the day of the official divulgation (publication) of the decision to call elections, the day of the official publication of the decision to call a referendum);

f) the periodicity of the periodical printed media publication issuing;

g) an indication of the fact that the TV or radio broadcasting organization or the periodical printed media publication are specialized (for specialized TV or radio broadcasting organizations or periodical printed media publications).