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Article 54
 
Rules of the Use of Electronic (Audio-Visual) Mass Media
1. All television and radio broadcasting entities shall be obligated to publicize in the mass media their charges for one minute or second of air time not later than 70 days prior to the election day and to communicate the said charges to the Central Electoral Commission and to constituency electoral commissions.
2. Air time for pre-election publicity campaigning at the expense and within the limits of funds which are allocated from the national budget of Ukraine for the preparation and conduct of elections shall be provided by public and communal television and radio broadcasting entities between 19.00 and 22.00.
3. Broadcasting time and air schedules of television and radio broadcasting entities in possession of licenses of the national Council of Ukraine for Radio and Television Broadcasting and having the title to air on all-national broadcasting channels shall be changed (although with no change in the total air time) throughout the period of election of deputies, for the purpose of enabling regional state-owned television and radio broadcasting entities to air their programs and pre-election products in the respective regions.
4. The procedure of assignment of air time at the expense and within the limits of funds which are allocated from the national budget of Ukraine for the preparation and conduct of elections shall be set out by the Central Electoral Commission.
5. The total air time given by television and radio broadcasting entities to a party (bloc) for the purposes of conducting pre-election publicity campaigns at the expense and within the limits of funds which are allocated from the national budget of Ukraine for the preparation and conduct of elections shall not be less than 30 minutes on an all-national television channel and 30 minutes on an all-national radio channel, with additional 20 minutes on regional television channels in every region (the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, oblasts, Cities of Kyiv and Sevastopol) and 20 minutes – on regional radio channels in every region.
6. The total air time given by television and radio broadcasting entities to a candidate for deputy registered in a single-mandate electoral constituency and for the purposes of conducting pre-election publicity campaigns at the expense and within the limits of funds which are allocated from the national budget of Ukraine for the preparation and conduct of elections shall not be less than 10 minutes on a regional television channel covering the territory of the respective single-mandate electoral constituency, and 10 minutes on a regional radio broadcasting channel covering the territory of the same single-mandate electoral constituency.
7. Any comments, irrespective of their form, or evaluations as to the content of pre-election publicity campaigns or programs as well as dissemination of any information about a party (bloc), or its candidates for deputy in the multi-mandate electoral constituency, or any candidate for deputy registered in a single-mandate electoral constituency shall be forbidden within 20 minutes prior to and within 20 minutes after the television or radio broadcasting of the said campaigns or programs.
8. Air time schedules with specific indications of pre-election publicity campaign products and the dates and time of their airing shall be developed by the respective state-owned and communal television and radio broadcasting entities in accordance with the outcomes of lot drawings conducted, respectively, by the Central Electoral Commission or by constituency electoral commissions with the participation of representatives or authorized persons of parties (blocs), or, accordingly, candidates for deputies registered in single-mandate electoral constituencies or authorized persons thereof.
9. The outcomes of lot drawing as to distribution of air time for the purposes of pre-election publicity campaigning at the expense of funds which are allocated from the national budget of Ukraine for the preparation and conduct of elections shall be publicized in “Holos Ukrayiny” and “Uryadovy Kouryer” dailies or, respectively, in the local state-owned and communal mass media within 5 days as of the approval of the said outcomes by the Central Electoral Commission and constituency electoral commissions.
10. Payments for the provided air time shall be effected by the Central Electoral Commission and constituency electoral commissions in accordance with the approved cost estimates, within the limits of funds which are allocated from the national budget of Ukraine for the preparation and conduct of elections and in compliance with relevant agreements between the Central Electoral Commission and the National Television Company of Ukraine or the National Radio Broadcasting Company of Ukraine, or, respectively, between constituency electoral commissions and regional state-owned or communal television and radio broadcasting entities.
11. Any air time at the expense of the electoral fund of a party (bloc) or of a candidate for deputy registered in a single-mandate electoral constituency shall be provided under an agreement to be signed by an authorized person of the said party (bloc) or candidate for deputy and by a television and radio broadcasting entity of any form of ownership. No air time shall be provided without such agreements and relevant transfers onto accounts of the said television and radio broadcasting entities.
12. Television and radio broadcasting entities shall be obligated to audio- or video-tape any products containing pre-election publicity campaign information and to keep such tapes until expiration of the term of 30 days as of the moment of the announcement of election outcomes.
13. Television and radio broadcasting entities of any form of ownership, if accordingly requested in writing by the Central Electoral Commission, or constituency electoral commissions, or the National Council of Ukraine for Television and Radio Broadcasting, or the central executive body for information policies, television and radio broadcasting, shall be obligated to provide information and assign air time for the conduct of pre-election publicity campaigning, and if necessary, - to furnish copies of relevant agreements, of settlement documents, and of the taped or otherwise recorded broadcasting products.