The Georgian National Communications Commission has conducted an analysis of free and paid televised political advertising during the 2018 Georgian presidential election campaign.

According to Article 50.1 of the Election Code of Georgia, a broadcast license holder, an authorised over-the-air broadcaster, the Public Broadcaster and Adjara TV and Radio of the Public Broadcaster must, if airtime is allotted for pre-election campaigning and political advertising, publicly announce and weekly submit to the GNCC the following information: from and until what date and at what intervals the airtime is allotted, its duration and schedule of the allotted airtime during one day, and service provided. The aforementioned information shall be submitted to the GNCC and published on the websites of the broadcasters in accordance with the 15 August 2012 Ordinance of the Georgian National Communications Commission “On Media Participation in the Election Process.”

In 2018, total television advertising revenues amounted to GEL 75,262,955. During the first and second round of the 2018 election campaign, the estimated value of televised free political adverts was GEL 30 million, while the total cost of the paid political adverts was GEL 8 million. Thus, the total value of free and paid political adverts placed by electoral subjects was GEL 38 million.

For the analysis, please see the attached file.