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Article 66.
 

Principles of Participation of Mass Media and Information Agencies in Information Support for Elections


1. In the course of the election process, the mass media shall distribute information materials in response to requests from the Central Election Commission and district election commissions, on the basis of relevant agreements concluded with the aforementioned commissions.


2. Information agencies and mass media shall disseminate information on the course of the election process and on related events on the basis of principles of providing credible, complete, accurate, and objective information in an unbiased way. Information agencies and mass media that disseminate information about election related events may not allow silencing the information that is necessary for the society and that is related to these events if they were aware of such information at the moment of dissemination. Information agencies and mass media shall disseminate information about the election in accordance with the facts avoiding distortion of the information. Mass media and information agencies shall try to receive information about the election related events from two and more sources prioritizing the primary sources.


{Paragraph 2 was added to Part 2 Article 66 pursuant to the Law № 709-VII dd. 21.11.2013}


3. Mass media and information agencies shall provide a balanced coverage for comments made by all parties and MP candidates on election-related events. {Part 2 Article 66 as amended pursuant to the Law № 709-VII dd. 21.11.2013}


4. TV and radio organizations shall independently determine the amount of air time dedicated to the coverage of facts and events related to the election process. In the said materials, TV and radio organizations may not express special attitude to certain subjects of the election process or give them any privileges.


{Part 4 was added to Article 66 pursuant to the Law № 709-VII dd. 21.11.2013}


5. TV and radio organizations shall have a right to create and to broadcast live the programs inviting MP candidates, their proxies, parties participating in the election process, their authorized representatives in the form of election debates or discussions. Such programs shall be arranged in a series of programs with a similar format aimed at ensuring observation of the principle of equal conditions and equal access. A TV and radio organization that intends to broadcast such programs shall publish the respective proposal stating the program format, the period during which consent for participation in the program should be submitted, and the cost of participation in the respective program. The format of the program (series of programs) includes: the procedure for selection of participants of the program involving two or more candidates or parties – upon the participant’s consent, by drawing lots, etc.; the duration of the program and the amount of air time given to each participant for speaking; the presence of other invitees in the studio during the program (experts, journalists, audience in the studio etc.), their role and the process for selection or identification; the rules of procedure and the rules of conduct for program participants; the topic for discussion or the procedure for its identification; the terms of presentation of other information during the program (results of public opinion surveys, interactive voting, statistic data, educational and reference information, concert performances, etc); other terms and conditions of the program production. The cost of participation in the program shall be the same for all subjects of the election process and determined taking into consideration the amount of air time given to each program participant as well as the price of the air time unit determined as provided for in Part 6 Article 71 of this Law. The amount of air time given to the program participants for participation in the discussion or for answers to the questions shall be determined using the same rules. {Part 5 was added to Article 66 pursuant to the Law № 709-VII dd. 21.11.2013}


6. Control of adherence to the provisions of this Law with regard to participation of mass media and information agencies in provision of information support for the election and election campaigns shall be exercised by the National Council of Ukraine on TV and Radio Broadcasting (for electronic (audiovisual) mass media) and the central executive body responsible for implementation of the state policy in the information and publishing spheres (for printed mass media and information agencies). For the purposes of such control, the monitoring data may be used that were submitted by civil society organizations whose statutes provide for the issues related to the election process and election observation and that are duly registered. In the event when, on the basis of such control, violations are discovered, the National Council of Ukraine on TV and Radio Broadcasting and the central executive body responsible for implementation of the state policy in the information and publishing spheres shall notify the Central Election Commission or the respective district election commission thereon.


{Part 6 was added to Article 66 pursuant to the Law № 709-VII dd. 21.11.2013}