§ Article 51(untitled)

lection Campaigning, Referendum Questions Campaigning on Television
and Radio

 1. Free air time, and in case stipulated by Clause 11, Article 50 of this Federal Law paid
air time on channels of state and municipal TV and radio broadcasting organizations shall be
provided correspondingly to registered candidates, election associations that registered lists of
candidates on equal terms and conditions (the amount of provided air time, the time of airing,
and other conditions). Free air time on the channels of state and municipal TV and radio
broadcasting organizations shall be provided on equal terms and conditions after the official
publication of the decision to call a referendum only to a referendum initiative group and other
referendum participants groups formed out of the leading bodies of public associations (their
structural subdivisions) referred to in Clause 2, Article 42 of this Federal Law, provided that the
lists of candidates nominated by them were admitted to distribution of deputy seats in the State
Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and (or) in accordance with the level
of the referendum in legislative (representative) body of state power of the subject of the
Russian Federation, representative body of municipal formation, or federal lists of candidates
nominated by them received deputy seats in accordance with Article 821 of the Federal Law
“On Election to Deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian
Federation” and (or) in accordance with the level of referendum lists of candidates nominated
by them received deputy seats under the law of the subject of the Russian Federation referred
to in Clause 17, Article 35 of this Federal Law.
(as amended by the Federal Laws of July 21, 2005, No.93-FZ, of May 12, 2009, No.94-FZ, of
July 19, 2009, No.203-FZ, of April 22, 2010, No.63-FZ)

 2. National and regional state TV and radio broadcasting organizations shall provide air
time referred to in Clause 1 of this Article to registered candidates, election associations for
election campaigning at elections to federal bodies of state power, and to initiative group for
conducting of a referendum of the Russian Federation and other groups of referendum
participants referred to in Clause 1 of this article for campaigning on the questions of the
referendum of the Russian Federation. Regional state TV and radio broadcasting organizations
shall provide air time referred to in Clause 1 of this Article to registered candidates, election
associations for election campaigning at elections to bodies of state power of the subjects of the
Russian Federation, and to initiative group for conducting of a referendum of the subject of the
Russian Federation and other referendum participant groups referred to in Clause 1 of this
Article for campaigning on the questions of the referendum of the subject of the Russian
Federation. Municipal TV and radio broadcasting organizations shall provide air time referred to
in Clause 1 of this Article to registered candidates, election associations for election
campaigning at elections to bodies of local self-government, and to the initiative group for
conducting of a local referendum and other referendum participant groups referred to in Clause
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1 of this Article for campaigning on the questions of a local referendum. Air time shall be
provided during the period established by corresponding TV and radio broadcasting
organization when TV and radio programs have the most audience.
(Clause 2 as amended by the Federal Law of July 19, 2009, No.203-FZ)

 3. The total amount of air time referred to in Clause 1 of this Article to be provided for
election campaigning, referendum questions campaigning by each national state TV and radio
broadcasting organization on each of its channels shall be not less than 60 minutes on working
days. The total amount of air time referred to in Clause 1 of this Article to be provided for
election campaigning, referendum questions campaigning by each regional state TV and radio
broadcasting organization on each of its channels shall be not less than 30 minutes on working
days and, if the total broadcasting time of a TV and radio broadcasting organization is less than
two hours a day, not less than not less than one-fourth of the total broadcasting time. Amount of
air time provided by regional state or municipal TV and radio broadcasting organizations for
election campaigning during by-elections or repeat election of deputy (deputies) of legislative
(representative) body of state power of the subject of the Russian Federation, representative
body of municipal formation in single-seat (multi-seat) electoral district is established by the law
of the subject of the Russian Federation. If, as a result of providing air time referred to in Clause
1 of this Article, each registered candidate, each election association that nominated a
registered list of candidates, each referendum initiative group or each other group of
referendum participants referred to in Clause 1 of this article receives more than 60 minutes of
air time, the total amount of air time that each of the TV and radio broadcasting organizations
provides for campaigning shall be reduced to total 60 minutes multiplied, respectively, by the
number of registered candidates, election associations that nominated registered lists of
candidates, by the number of groups that have been granted the right to campaign on
referendum questions.
(Clause 3 as amended by the Federal Law of July 19, 2009, No.203-FZ)

 4. Not less than a half of the total amount of air time referred to in Clause 1 of this Article
shall be provided to registered candidates, election associations for joint debates, "roundtables"
and other joint campaigning events. This rule shall not apply if each candidate registered in
sing-seat (multi-seat) electoral district receives less than five minutes of the total amount of air
time referred to in Clause 1 of this Article. The law may establish that registered candidates
(including those in the lists of candidates) may participate in joint campaigning event only in
person. At a referendum, not less than a half of the total amount of air time referred to in Clause
1 of this Article shall be provided to the referendum initiative group, other referendum
participant groups referred (with account of provisions of Clause 1 of this Article) for joint
debates, "roundtables" and such other joint campaigning events.
(as amended by the Federal Laws of July 21, 2005, No.93-FZ, of July 19, 2009, No.203-FZ)

 5. Registered candidate, election association, referendum initiative group may refuse to
participate in joint campaigning event. In this case, the air time allocated for this joint
campaigning event shall not be reduced even if only one participant may take part in it, save as
otherwise provided by the law. Refusal by a registered candidate, an election association,
referendum initiative group to participate in a joint campaigning event shall not increase the
amount of air time referred to in Clause 1 of this Article to which they are entitled save as
otherwise provided by the law.
(as amended by the Federal Laws of July 21, 2005, No.93-FZ, of July 19, 2009, No.203-FZ)

 51 The remaining part of total amount of free air (if any) referred to in Clause 1 of this
Article shall be provided by state and municipal TV and radio broadcasting organizations to
registered candidates, election associations, referendum initiative group and other referendum
participants groups referred to in Clause 1 of this Article for distribution of campaigning
materials.
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(Clause 51 introduced by the Federal Law of July 21, 2005, No.93-FZ, as amended by the
Federal Law of July 19, 2009, No.203-FZ)

 6. State and municipal TV and radio broadcasting organizations shall reserve air time
for election campaigning, referendum campaigning that is provided on a paid basis. The
amount and the terms of payment shall be equal for all registered candidates, election
associations that nominated registered lists of candidates referendum initiative group and other
groups of referendum participants. The total amount of air time to be reserved shall be equal to
the established total amount of air time referred to in Clause 1 of this Article or exceed it but not
more than twice. Registered candidate, the said election association, referendum initiative
group, other groups of referendum participants shall be entitled for a certain payment to a part
of the total amount of reserved air time within the share calculated by dividing this total amount
by the total number of registered candidates, the said election associations, the number of
groups having the right to conduct referendum campaigning, respectively.
(as amended by the Federal Laws of July 21, 2005, No.93-FZ, of July 19, 2009, No.203-FZ)

 7. The provision of extra free and paid air time on equal conditions to election
associations that nominated registered candidates may be established by the law.
(as amended by the Federal Law of July 21, 2005, No.93-FZ)

 8. Non-state TV and radio broadcasting organizations that meet the requirements of
Clause 6, Article 50 of this Federal Law, shall provide air time to registered candidates, election
associations that nominated registered lists of candidates, referendum initiative group and other
referendum participant groups on equal conditions (in particular, in terms of the time of airing).
(as amended by the Federal Law of July 21, 2005, No.93-FZ)

 9. Transmission of campaigning materials on the channels of TV and radio broadcasting
organizations shall not be interrupted by transmission of other TV and radio programs, other
campaigning materials.

 10. Any other terms and conditions of election campaigning, referendum questions
campaigning on television and radio shall be regulated by the law.