33. What criteria determine allocation for free or subsidized access to media for political parties?

Russian Federation

Russian Federation

Answer
Equal
Source

Art. 64 - "(5) State-owned and municipal TV and radio broadcasters and print media outlets shall be obliged to ensure political parties have equal terms and conditions for campaign and, in particular, for the presentation of their election programs to voters."

Art. 64 - "(13) In case of provision of airtime, print space, services for placement of campaign materials in online publications, the terms of payment shall be equal for all political parties and registered candidates. ..."

Art. 65 - "(13) The airtime provided free of charge for placement of campaign materials of political parties and candidates shall be distributed (if available), respectively, among all political parties, all registered candidates equally."

Art. 66 - "(1) Political parties are entitled to free print space in, respectively, nation-wide stateowned print periodicals, which published with a periodicity of less than once a week, on the following conditions: offered print space shall have the same amount, place in the column, the same font size and other equal conditions.

(2) Political parties, registered candidates are entitled to have free print space in, respectively, regional-wide state-owned print periodicals, which published with a periodicity of less than once a week. Half of the total amount of print space provided to the editorship of the regional state print media, is given for election campaigning by political parties, the other half - for election campaigning candidates registered in single-mandate electoral district, formed on the territory of the relevant subject of the Russian Federation. Space shall be provided on the following conditions: an equal volume of print space shall be provided, an equivalent place on the strip, the same font size and other equal conditions for political parties, respectively, for the registered candidates."

Source: Article 64 (5), 64 (13), 65 (13) and 66 (1) and (2), Federal Law on Elections of Deputies to the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, 2014

Art. 8 - "(4) Equal rights in respect to access to the mass media shall be guaranteed to the registered candidates for holding the election canvassing."

Art. 51 - "(5) State-owned and municipal TV and radio broadcasting organizations as well as offices of state-owned and municipal printed periodicals shall guarantee equal election campaigning terms and conditions to all registered candidates and political parties that nominated registered candidates, including those concerning presentation of their election programs to voters."

Art. 52 - "(1) Registered candidates, except for the candidates as specified in Clause 2.1 of Article 51 hereof, shall have the right to be provided with free air time on the channels of state-owned TV and radio broadcasting organizations on equal terms and conditions (as to the air time duration, broadcasting time and other terms and conditions). The political parties that nominated registered candidates, except for the political parties as specified in Clause 2.1 of Article 51 hereof, shall have the right to be provided with free air time on the channels of state-owned TV and radio broadcasting organizations on equal terms and conditions."

Art. 53 - "(1) Registered candidates, except for the candidates as specified in Clause 2.1 of Article 51 hereof, shall have the right to be provided with free printable area in the national state-owned printed periodicals with at least once a week issue frequency, on the terms and conditions as follows: the equal printable area, the same location on the page, the same font size, etc. The political parties that nominated registered candidates, except for the political parties as specified in Clause 2.1 of Article 51 hereof, shall have the right to be provided with free printable area in the national state-owned printed periodicals with at least once a week issue frequency, on equal terms and conditions."

Source: Articles 8 (4), 51 (5), 52 (1) and 53 (1) Federal Law on the Presidential Elections in the Russian Federation, 2002

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