Home > 1. The principles of Europe's electoral heritage > KOSOVO - Law No. 003/L-073 on General Elections and Amendments 2010
 
 
 
Download file    
 
 
Article 49
 

General Rules for Political Advertising on Radio and Television


49.1 Political advertising spots shall be no longer than 2 minutes (120 seconds).


49.2 Broadcasters which choose to air paid political advertising are required to offer a minimum number of minutes of free airtime to each certified political entity during the campaign period as following:


a) 20 minutes for private Kosovo-wide television broadcasters;


b) 40 minutes for the Public Service Television Broadcaster;


c) 15 minutes for private Kosovo-wide radio stations;


d) 30 minutes for each of the two Public Service Radio channels;


e) 15 minutes for all other television stations;


f) 10 minutes for all other radio stations.


49.3 This free airtime may be provided, at the discretion of individual broadcasters, in the form of participation in debates, discussion shows, interviews outside regularly scheduled news programs, or as free political advertising spots.


49.4 Coverage in regularly scheduled news programs shall not be counted as free airtime.


49.5 No political advertising spots shall air within news programs. For this Article, news programs are defined to include sports and weather components of news broadcasts.


49.6 Broadcasters shall ensure that every political advertising spot is clearly identified as such and shall clearly indicate the organization or individual responsible for it.


49.7 Broadcasters are required to keep separate daily logs, provided by the IMC, of free access provided and advertising time sold to each certified political entity. These logs are to be prepared and submitted weekly to the IMC in accordance with the instructions provided. These logs shall be open for public inspection upon receipt.


49.8 Broadcasters which choose to air paid political advertising shall offer one week prior to the start of the campaign period an unbiased and equitable schedule of free air time, for political advertising spots, in writing to all certified political entities.


49.9 Broadcasters shall not be penalized if a certified political entity fails to use time offered on equitable terms. 49.10 The total time of aired free political advertising spots on one broadcaster shall have a maximum of 20 minutes per certified political entity.


49.11 Broadcasters which choose to air paid political advertising but fail to offer the minimum required free air time to certified political entities over the course of the campaign period shall be considered in violation of this Law.


49.12 Private broadcasters which choose not to air paid political advertising time to any certified political entity are not required to offer the minimum free airtime as specified in paragraph 2 of this Article.


49.13 Private broadcasters which choose not to air paid political advertising but do offer free airtime to any certified political entity shall provide similar free airtime to all certified political entities.


49.14 The price per second charged for paid political advertising spots shall be no higher than the lowest rate charged for that time and day of the week in the past six (6) months.