ECI Announces Allotment of Broadcast Time on Doordarshan and AIR For Political Parties

The Election Commission of India has announced allotment of broadcast time on Doordarshan and AIR for political parties, allotment based on performance of parties in 2019 elections.

New Delhi: Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the Election Commission of India has released guidelines for the allocation of telecast and broadcast time for political parties on Doordarshan (DD) and All India Radio (AIR).

According to the directive issues by poll panel, "only six National Parties and 59 State Parties which are at present recognized as such National or State Parties, under the provision of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.." will be eligible for the telecast and broadcast facility.

This facility will not be available to registered-unrecognised political parties or any independent candidates.

The allocation of time on DD and AIR has been specified by the Election Commission. According to the poll panel, National Parties will receive a minimum of 10 hours of telecasting time on the National channel of Doordarshan, along with a minimum of 15 hours on Regional Doordarshan Kendras and AIR Stations.

State based Parties will be allotted a total of 30 hours of telecasting time on Regional DD Kendras and AIR Stations.

For All India Radio (AIR), "a total of not less than 10 hours of broadcasting time on the National hookup of the All India Radio for broadcasts by the National Parties" along with 15 hours of broadcasting time on the regional Air Stations, for broadcasts by the National Parties.

Each National and State party shall be allotted time for telecasts over Doordarshan and broadcasts on All India Radio on a few parameters.

For National Parties, 45 minutes will be allocated to each party on the National channel/hookup of DD/AIR. The remaining time will be divided among the National Parties based on the percentage of votes polled in the last General Election in 2019.

Similarly, State Parties will receive 25 minutes each on DD and AIR, with the remaining time divided among them based on the percentage of votes polled in the last preceding general election in 2019. Additionally, parties will be provided with digital time vouchers of denominations ranging from 1 to 5 minutes, allowing them flexibility in utilising their allotted time.

As per the Guidelines for observance in Telecasts/Broadcasts, the poll panel will not permit Criticism of other countries, attack on religions or communities, anything obscene or defamatory, incitement of violence anything amounting to contempt of court, aspersions against the integrity of the President and Judiciary and anything affecting the unity, sovereignty and integrity of the Nation and any criticism by name of any person.

In addition to the above-mentioned Party telecasts/broadcasts, the Prasar Bharati Corporation may organise a maximum of two national panel discussion/debates on the national channel of Doordarshan and All India Radio.

Each nationally recognized Party can nominate one representative to such programmes.The ECI will approve the names of moderators for such panel discussion and debates in consultation with the Prasar Bharati Corporation.

In the State, where Assembly elections are also being held simultaneously, similar debates and panel discussions may be arranged from the Regional Kendras of Doordarshan and All India Radio for elections to the concerned State Assemblies.

In these programmes, the concerned State recognized parties will be permitted to participate.

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