Skopje, 9 August 2025 – Following the announcement of the Local Elections scheduled for 19 October 2025, the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services (AVMU) will begin monitoring broadcasters regarding their reporting practices in the period before the official start of the election campaign, as well as their compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Code that come into effect upon the announcement of elections. Until the beginning of the election campaign, AVMU will be conducting daily monitoring of nine television programming services at the national level with the highest average daily audience reach. All other programming services will be monitored based on complaints received.
When reporting on the electoral process, broadcasters should adhere to the professional standards, particularly the principle of objective and impartial reporting of events, ensuring equal treatment of different viewpoints and opinions. This enables the public to freely form their own opinions on specific events and issues. Broadcasters must also comply with the specific prohibitions on inciting hatred and intolerance.
Reporting on the regular activities of state bodies, municipal and City of Skopje authorities, state institutions and organizations, as well as other legal entities with public authorizations, must not serve as a form of electoral media promotion for any political entity.
The Public Broadcasting Service and the national-level television stations are required to provide information about the electoral process in formats accessible to people with sensory disabilities. They must also inform the Agency in a timely manner about which campaign-related content will be made accessible.
From the announcement of the elections until the start of the election campaign, it is prohibited to air advertisements funded by the state budget, as well as paid political advertising—except for announcements related to collecting signatures in support of the candidate nominations by groups of voters. Additionally, editors, journalists, programme hosts and presenters are not allowed to be simultaneously involved in broadcasting programmes and in the pre-election activities of any election campaign participants. When publishing public opinion poll results, broadcasters must include all necessary data about the specific research as required by the Electoral Code.
Broadcasters intending to air paid political advertising (PPA) must register with the State Election Commission (SEC) no later than August 12, and must submit their price lists to the SEC, the State Audit Office (SAO), the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption (SCPC), and AVMU no later than 14 August 2025.
As during previous elections, the Agency has placed a banner on its website with materials related to the electoral process, including laws and by-laws, complaint forms, etc. The banner is available in Macedonian, Albanian, and English, and will be continuously updated throughout the election process.