Party political broadcasts and party election broadcasts are allocated in accordance with rules agreed by the broadcasting authorities. There is no parallel duty on the BBC, but the Corporation acts along similar lines. General arrangements for allocating broadcasting times are devised jointly by the ITC, the BBC, S4C and the Radio Authority. The majority of party broadcasts are transmitted during election time, but a small number of additional broadcasts are allocated to coincide with key events in the political calendar such as the Budget and the Queens speech. Parties contesting one sixth of seats in Scotland and Wales are eligible for an election broadcast in those countries only.
Separate arrangements apply in Northern Ireland.
Parties must be registered under provisions set out in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 . Yes - the broadcasting authorities require compliance with the law on matters such as libel, obscenity, incitement to racial hatred and with guidelines concerning taste and decency. Further details are available in the Independent Television Commission note no 19 - Party Political Broadcasting . Broadcasting authorities have a statutory duty to consult the Electoral Commission on developments concerning the rules for party political broadcasts under section 11 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 . From 16th March 2001, Section 93 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 is repealed and new rules apply to the broadcasting of elections.