Skopje, 26 September 2018 – At today’s 39th session in 2018, the Agency Council adopted the Methodology for Monitoring Electoral Media Coverage by the Radio and Television Programming Services during Electoral Processes.
The need for this document resulted from the amendments to the Electoral Code related to Article 75-e (concerning advertisements and announcements for collecting signatures in support of the candidacies of groups of electors, which constitute an exception from the ban on paid political advertising from the day of announcing elections until the start of the electoral campaign); 75-f (regarding the duration of paid political advertising), and 76-c (regarding the Agency’s competences during electoral competences). A new Article was also added, 76-e, regarding the provision of funds from the Budget of the Republic of Macedonia, allocated to cover the expenditures for paid political advertising in the media.
The Methodology contains all relevant provisions on media coverage during elections and defines the manner in which the Agency shall conduct monitoring.
Before it was adopted, a public debate was open for 30 days, until 22 September 2018 (inclusive), at which all interested parties were invited to submit their remarks, opinions and proposals.