Newsroom
Procedures for election campaign advertising in Kosovo media
PRISTINA 29 August 2000
PRISTINA, 29 August 2000 - The Central Election Commission has approved the Temporary Media Commissioner procedures governing media advertising, free political spots on radio and television, and paid print advertisements by political parties, coalitions, citizens initiatives, and independent candidates certified to contest the forthcoming municipal elections. The details are contained in Electoral Rule 2000/11, Media During the Election Campaign.
The procedures set out how political entities and media outlets are required to manage election campaign advertising in order to ensure fair and equitable treatment and coverage for those contesting the elections.
Campaign advertising, in both the print and broadcast media, is permitted under Electoral Rule 2000/11, adopted by the CEC in July, governing the conduct of the media during the run-up to the election 28 October.
Under that Rule, broadcasters must carry free political spots if requested to do so by certified political entities. However, certified political entities may not buy additional airtime.
In order to ensure that all political entities have equitable access to broadcast airtime, the procedures state that:
- All political entities must inform the relevant broadcast media outlets of their intention to use their right to free campaign advertising slots no later than 6 September.
- For their part, the broadcast outlets must inform those political entities who have asked for free airtime of the dates and times of the slots allocated to them by 10 September (three days before the start of the media campaign period). The dates and times must be allocated by broadcasters in a fair and equitable manner.
- These spots must then be recorded and submitted to the broadcaster no later than 24 hours prior to the time of the broadcast slot.
Under the procedures, all political spots broadcast on both Kosovo-wide and local radio and television must be of two minutes and 30 seconds duration.
On local broadcast media, political entities may request total airtime of 15 minutes (six slots of two minutes and 30 seconds duration) or 30 minutes (12 slots of two minutes and 30 seconds duration) per media outlet depending on the number of entities certified in a municipality.
On Kosovo-wide broadcast media, political entities registered in only one municipality will be allotted one political spot per media outlet.
The number of political spots allocated to those certified in two or more municipalities will be half the total number of municipalities in which they have been certified.
Print media will be allowed to charge political entities the lowest available advertising rates charged one month before the campaign starts.
All journalists, editors, broadcasters and publishers must abide by the Codes of Conduct issued by the Temporary Media Commissioner. It is their responsibility to ensure that all campaign advertising - press or broadcast - is in line with the Code.
Disputes, complaints and sanctions will be dealt with by the Election Complaints and Appeals Sub-Commission.
In the political spots, all political entities contesting the elections re required to set out their policies on local government, in general, or in relation to the specific municipalities in which they will be running candidates.
In order to inform all those affected by these procedures, both political entities and media outlets, senior OSCE media personnel will be travelling throughout Kosovo this week and next week to explain the details in person.
The political entities contesting the elections will be allowed to launch their media campaigns from 13 September, 45 days before the 28 October ballot.
Further information and details on the Equitable Access to the Media for Advertising procedure can be found on the OSCE Mission in Kosovo website, //www.osce.org/kosovo/elections
For further information, contact Roland Bless, Spokesperson, OSCE Mission in Kosovo, tel.: (+381-38) 500-162 or satphone: 871-762-009-948 ext. 260 / mobile: (+389-70) 250-576 / email: [email protected]; //www.osce.org/kosovo
The procedures set out how political entities and media outlets are required to manage election campaign advertising in order to ensure fair and equitable treatment and coverage for those contesting the elections.
Campaign advertising, in both the print and broadcast media, is permitted under Electoral Rule 2000/11, adopted by the CEC in July, governing the conduct of the media during the run-up to the election 28 October.
Under that Rule, broadcasters must carry free political spots if requested to do so by certified political entities. However, certified political entities may not buy additional airtime.
In order to ensure that all political entities have equitable access to broadcast airtime, the procedures state that:
- All political entities must inform the relevant broadcast media outlets of their intention to use their right to free campaign advertising slots no later than 6 September.
- For their part, the broadcast outlets must inform those political entities who have asked for free airtime of the dates and times of the slots allocated to them by 10 September (three days before the start of the media campaign period). The dates and times must be allocated by broadcasters in a fair and equitable manner.
- These spots must then be recorded and submitted to the broadcaster no later than 24 hours prior to the time of the broadcast slot.
Under the procedures, all political spots broadcast on both Kosovo-wide and local radio and television must be of two minutes and 30 seconds duration.
On local broadcast media, political entities may request total airtime of 15 minutes (six slots of two minutes and 30 seconds duration) or 30 minutes (12 slots of two minutes and 30 seconds duration) per media outlet depending on the number of entities certified in a municipality.
On Kosovo-wide broadcast media, political entities registered in only one municipality will be allotted one political spot per media outlet.
The number of political spots allocated to those certified in two or more municipalities will be half the total number of municipalities in which they have been certified.
Print media will be allowed to charge political entities the lowest available advertising rates charged one month before the campaign starts.
All journalists, editors, broadcasters and publishers must abide by the Codes of Conduct issued by the Temporary Media Commissioner. It is their responsibility to ensure that all campaign advertising - press or broadcast - is in line with the Code.
Disputes, complaints and sanctions will be dealt with by the Election Complaints and Appeals Sub-Commission.
In the political spots, all political entities contesting the elections re required to set out their policies on local government, in general, or in relation to the specific municipalities in which they will be running candidates.
In order to inform all those affected by these procedures, both political entities and media outlets, senior OSCE media personnel will be travelling throughout Kosovo this week and next week to explain the details in person.
The political entities contesting the elections will be allowed to launch their media campaigns from 13 September, 45 days before the 28 October ballot.
Further information and details on the Equitable Access to the Media for Advertising procedure can be found on the OSCE Mission in Kosovo website, //www.osce.org/kosovo/elections
For further information, contact Roland Bless, Spokesperson, OSCE Mission in Kosovo, tel.: (+381-38) 500-162 or satphone: 871-762-009-948 ext. 260 / mobile: (+389-70) 250-576 / email: [email protected]; //www.osce.org/kosovo