Russian Federation

[RU] Ministry Adopts Regulations of the Federal Competition Commission on Broadcasting

IRIS 2000-4:1/21

Marina Savintseva

Moscow Media Law and Policy Centre

On 31 December 1999, the Ministry of Press, Broadcasting and Mass Communications adopted "Regulations of the Federal Competition Commission on Television and Radio Broadcasting". The document stipulates the procedure for carrying out tenders for broadcasting licensing in Russia. The Federal Competition Commission on Television and Radio Broadcasting (The Federal Commission) consists of nine members and takes decisions for the assigning of frequencies. The Federal Commission can vote either secretly or openly, by a simple (yes/no) vote, or by a rating vote.

The voting takes place after the applicants' programme concepts (policy statements) have been presented to the Federal Commission and discussed. The members of the Federal Commission evaluate the applications according to the following criteria:

- ensuring that the broadcast programmes meet the needs of the target population;

- necessity to support socially significant television and radio projects;

- originality of the programme concept;

- cost analysis concerning the acquisition of broadcast equipment;

- investments made for developments necessary for the use of the radio frequency;

- estimated period after which the equipment may start functioning;

- compliance of the equipment with the ecological norms and requirements, as well as with the state technical standards.