§ Article 50(untitled)

eneral Conditions of Election Campaigning, Referendum Questions
Campaigning on the Channels of TV and Radio Broadcasting Organizations and in Print
Periodicals

 1. State and municipal TV and radio broadcasting organizations and editorial boards of
state and municipal print periodicals shall ensure equal conditions for election campaigning for
registered candidates, election associations that registered lists of candidates, including
presentation of their election programs to voters, and for the referendum initiative group, equal
conditions for campaigning on the referendum questions in accordance with the procedure
established by this Federal Law, other law. Air time on channels of the said TV and radio
broadcasting organizations and print space in print periodicals shall be provided to registered
candidates, election associations that registered lists of candidates, referendum initiative group
and other referendum participant groups for a charge, and, in cases and in accordance with the
procedure established by this Federal Law, other law, free of charge as well (free air time, free
print space).
(as amended by the Federal Laws of July 21, 2005, No.93-FZ, of July 19, 2009, No.203-FZ)
 - 93 - CDL-REF(2012)008

 11 The law may establish that election association that nominated list of candidates at
closest previous elections and such list was not admitted to distribution of deputy seats, or a
candidate that was not elected and received less votes of voters participated in the voting than
it is established by the law, is not entitled to use free air time, free print space. The number of
votes of voters established by the law may not exceed 3 percent of the number of votes of
voters participated in voting. In this case the law may establish that such election association is
entitled under a corresponding agreement to receive its share or its part of total amount of free
air time, free print space, the amount of which shall not exceed the payment for air time, print
space reserved by state and municipal TV and radio broadcasting organizations, editorial
boards of state and municipal print periodicals in accordance with Clause 6, Article 51 and
Clause 2, Article 52 of this Federal Law for conduct of election campaigning. Distribution of air
time and print space provided under an agreement stipulated by this Clause shall be carried out
in accordance with the procedure for distribution of free air time, free print space established by
this Federal Law.
(Clause 11 introduced by the Federal Law of July 19, 2009, No.203-FZ)

 12 The Federal Law may establish that free air time, free print space are not provided to
a candidate nominated by election association if at closest previous corresponding elections a
candidate nominated by this election association received less votes of voters participated in
the voting than it is established by the law.
(Clause 12 introduced by the Federal Law of July 19, 2009, No.203-FZ)

 13 At elections to legislative (representative) body of state power of the subject of the
Russian Federation, representative body of municipal formation an election association that
nominated candidates and (or) list of candidates shall not be refused provision of free air time,
free print space if at the closest previous corresponding elections:
 a) list of candidates nominated by this election association received not less number of
votes of voters participated in voting established by the law and defined in accordance with
Clause 11 of this Article;
 b) election association nominated candidates only for single-seat (multi-seat) electoral
districts.
(Clause 13 introduced by the Federal Law of July 19, 2009, No.203-FZ)

 2. Registered candidates, election associations shall not be entitled to use free air time,
free print space provided to them for campaigning in favor of other registered candidates, other
election associations. A registered candidate nominated by election association shall be entitled
to use air time, print space provided to him for campaigning in favor of election association that
nominated such candidate, and for other candidates nominated by this election association
during the same elections. An election association that nominated candidates, list of candidates
are entitled to use air time, print space provided to such candidate for election campaigning for
any candidate nominated by such election association during the same election.
(Clause 2 as amended by the Federal Law of July 21, 2005, No.93-FZ)

 3. If more than one election campaign, referendum campaign is conducted
simultaneously in the same territory, and the periods of campaigning on TV and radio channels
and in print periodicals of such campaigns coincide, the total amount of free air time and free
space in print periodicals shall not be increased without consent of the TV and radio
broadcasting organization, editorial boards of print periodicals.

 4. Non-state TV and radio broadcasting organizations and editorial boards of non-state
print periodicals releasing mass media production that were registered not later than a year
before the commencement of election campaign, referendum campaign, and editorial boards of
non-state print periodicals founded by election associations (including by their structural
subdivisions) and registered not later than a year before the commencement of election
campaign, referendum campaign are entitled to provide registered candidates, election
CDL-REF(2012)008 - 94 -

associations, referendum initiative group and other referendum participants groups with air
time, print space in corresponding mass media. Other non-state TV and radio broadcasting
organizations and editorial boards of non-state print periodicals are not entitled to provide their
air time, print space to registered candidates, election associations, referendum initiative group,
other referendum participant groups.
(Clause 4 as amended by the Federal Law of July 21, 2005, No.93-FZ)

 5. The terms of payment for the air time, print space provided by non-state TV and radio
broadcasting organizations and editorial boards of non-state print periodicals shall be equal for
all registered candidates, election associations, referendum initiative groups, other referendum
participant groups. This requirement shall not apply to editorial boards of non-state print
periodicals founded by candidates, election associations, citizens who are members of the
referendum initiative group.
(as amended by the Federal Law of July 21, 2005, No.93-FZ)

 6. During the elections, information on the amount (in the Russian Federation currency)
and other conditions of payment for air time, print space shall be published by corresponding
TV and radio broadcasting organization, editorial boards of print periodical not later than in 30
days after the day of the official publication of the decision to call election. This data and notice
of readiness to provide air time, print space for election campaigning shall be submitted, within
the same period, to election commission organizing elections or subordinate election
commission stipulated by the law. During the conduct of referendum this data shall by
published by TV and radio broadcasting organization, editorial board of print periodical and
submitted to corresponding referendum commission not later than in one day from the day of
issue of first campaigning material.
(Clause 6 as amended by the Federal Law of July 21, 2005, No.93-FZ)

 7. Non-state TV and radio broadcasting organizations, editorial boards of non-state print
periodicals, editorial boards of state print periodicals that publish new issues less frequently
than once a week, specialized TV and radio broadcasting organizations and editorial boards of
specialized print periodicals (cultural-educational, children technical, scientific, etc.), and
municipal TV and radio broadcasting organization and editorial boards of municipal print
periodicals (during elections to federal bodies of state power, bodies of state power of the
subjects of the Russian Federation, referendum of the Russian Federation, referendum of the
subject of the Russian Federation) are entitled to refuse to provide air time, print space for
election campaigning, referendum questions campaigning. Failure to submit a notice
established by Clause 6 of this Article to corresponding commission in term established by this
Clause shall be considered as such refusal.

 8. Mass media organizations shall maintain separate account of the amount and cost of
the air time and print space provided for election campaigning, referendum questions
campaigning in the format and in accordance with the procedure established by corresponding
commission and submit data on such account to commission not later than in ten days from the
voting day.
(as amended by the Federal Law of July 21, 2005, No.93-FZ)

 9. Mass media organizations shall keep the records of free and paid provision of air time
and print space referred to in Clause 8 of this Article for at least three years after the voting day.
(as amended by the Federal Law of July 19, 2009, No.203-FZ)

 10. Expenses of state and municipal TV and radio broadcasting organizations and
editorial boards of state and municipal print periodicals connected to provision of free air time
and free print space for election campaigning, referendum questions campaigning shall be
accounted as results of operational activity of these organizations and editorial boards.
 - 95 - CDL-REF(2012)008

 11. Air time on the channels of TV and radio broadcasting organizations and print space
in print periodicals for election campaigning, referendum questions campaigning are provided
under an agreement concluded in written form between a TV and radio broadcasting
organization, editorial board of print periodical and candidate, election association,
representative of referendum initiative group, other referendum participants group before the
provision of air time, print space.
(as amended by the Federal Laws of July 21, 2005, No.93-FZ, of July 19, 2009, No.203-FZ)

 12. If more than one election campaign is conducted in the same territory and periods of
election campaigning for these campaigns on the channels of TV and radio broadcasting
organizations and print periodicals coincide, a registered candidate nominated in more than one
electoral districts for different elections is entitled to receive free air time and free print space in
state and municipal TV and radio broadcasting organization and print periodicals in amount that
does not exceed the amount that should have provided to such candidates at elections of
higher level.