France

[FR] Recommendation of the Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel for the Local Elections.

IRIS 1995-6:1/12

Ad van Loon

European Audiovisual Observatory

The recommendation refers to coverage of news both relating to and not relating to the forthcoming local elections. One of the items reminds candidates who work in the audiovisual communication services of the need to be particularly attentive that any radio or television appearances they might make should not in any way affect the rights of candidates to equal air time and consequently the authenticity of the election.

On 10 May, the opinion poll commission drew attention to the fact that the regulations of the 1977 law relating to the publication and broadcasting of opinion polls were applicable "from now onwards to all opinion polls that are in direct or indirect relation" to the elections. The Commission went on to state that "no opinion poll relating to an election, including exit polls during the first round of the elections, can be published in whatsoever form , from 4 June at 12 p.m. through to 18 June at 6 p.m.". Contrary to the presidential elections (see IRIS 1995-5), the two rounds of the local elections are only a week apart, instead of two weeks, which makes it impossible to publish opinion polls between the two rounds.