Election campaign through the mass media

1. Political parties running in the elections of the National Assembly and the Council of Elders of Yerevan shall have the right to use the airtime (including by live broadcasting) of public radio and public television on equal conditions, free of charge and for pay.

2. The procedure and schedule for providing political parties running in the elections of the National Assembly and the Council of Elders of Yerevan free and paid airtime on public radio and public television shall be prescribed by the CEC on the next day following the expiry of the deadline prescribed for registration of the candidate lists of political parties running in the elections.
During the second round of election of the National Assembly, election campaign shall start on the 8th day following the adoption of a decision on holding the second round of election.

3. During elections, public radio and public television shall be obliged to ensure nondiscriminatory conditions for candidates, political parties running in the elections.
News programmes on public radio and public television shall provide impartial and nonjudgemental information on election campaigns of candidates, political parties running in the elections.
Failure to organise events by a candidate, political parties running in the elections or lack of information on those activities shall not serve as a ground for the mass media not to publish information on the campaign of the candidate, political parties running in the elections.
Upon revoking or declaring invalid the registration, contracts concluded with candidates, political parties running in the elections by radio companies and television companies for providing airtime for election campaign purposes shall be considered revoked, and the provision of airtime for election campaign purposes shall be terminated.

4. No later than 10 days after calling elections of the National Assembly and the Council of Elders of Yerevan, the National Commission on Television and Radio shall publish the price per minute of the paid airtime of public radio and public television, which may not exceed the market value of the commercial advertisement for the last 6 months preceding the calling of elections and may not be changed until the end of the election campaign.

5. Provisions prescribed by part 3 of this Article shall also equally extend to other radio companies and television companies carrying out terrestrial on-air broadcasting, which provide airtime to candidates, political parties running in the elections for conducting election campaign, irrespective of the form of ownership.
No later than 10 days after calling elections, radio companies and television companies carrying out terrestrial on-air broadcasting shall publish the price per minute of their paid airtime, which may not exceed the average cost of the commercial advertisement for the last 6 months preceding the calling of elections and may not be changed until the end of the election campaign.

6. It shall be prohibited to interrupt radio programmes and television programmes on election campaign by commercial advertisement.

7. Television companies and radio companies carrying out terrestrial on-air broadcasting shall be obliged to observe the requirements of this Article when carrying out satellite broadcasting.

8. When carrying out terrestrial on-air broadcasting, radio programmes and television programmes on election campaign shall be audio- and video-taped. They shall be kept until the day the elected body assumes its powers.

9. Supervision over the observance by television companies and radio companies carrying out terrestrial on-air broadcasting of the established procedure for election campaigns shall be exercised by the National Commission on Television and Radio.

10. During the election campaign for the elections of the National Assembly and the Council of Elders of Yerevan, the National Commission on Television and Radio shall conduct monitoring for assessment of provision by television companies and radio companies carrying out terrestrial on-air broadcasting of equal conditions for political parties running in the elections. To this end, the National Commission on Television and Radio shall develop and, no later than 20 days after calling elections of the National Assembly and the Council of Elders of Yerevan, publish and submit to the CEC a methodology for assessment of provision by television companies and radio companies carrying out terrestrial on-air broadcasting of equal conditions for political parties running in the elections during the period of the election campaign.

11. During the elections of the National Assembly and the Council of Elders of Yerevan, the National Commission on Television and Radio shall — no later than on the 10th day and the 20th day of the time period established for the election campaign, as well as 2 days before the deadline established for summarising the election results — publish and submit to the CEC the results of the monitoring on fulfilling the requirements of this Article by television companies and radio companies carrying out terrestrial on-air broadcasting during the period of the election campaign, as well as the conclusion of the Commission on compliance by television companies and radio companies carrying out terrestrial on-air broadcasting with the established procedure for election campaigns.
In case the second round of election of the National Assembly is held, the National Commission on Television and Radio shall publish the conclusion referred to in this part and submit it to the CEC 2 days before the deadline prescribed by this Code for summarisation of the results of the second round of election.

12. Newspapers and magazines founded by state or local self-government bodies shall be obliged to ensure non-discriminatory and impartial conditions for candidates, political parties running in the elections during the period of the election campaign.