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Editor's factfile: Wednesday April 20
Why can’t the political parties buy TV advertising like they do in the United States?
There are very strict rules and regulations governing the broadcast coverage of politics during a general election period.
While the parties can buy billboard space and newspaper advertisements they are banned from buying advertising time on TV or radio.
This is for two reasons; one is that news broadcasting is meant to be independent of party politics and ads could confuse the public.
Second, amid fears over spiralling costs and to achieve fairness, the parties are awarded free TV time, through party political and party election broadcasts.
Political broadcasts were first carried by BBC radio prior to the general election of 1924.
Early allocation arrangements were informal with the BBC making proposals and taking soundings from political parties until agreement was reached.
Not all parties are given the same broadcasting time. This is based on the number of candidates the party is fielding and its vote at the previous general election.
While the final decision to broadcast is a matter for individual broadcasters the framework is based on the principle of "due impartiality" - with parties able to seek legal redress is they feel they are not being given enough airtime.
Under the rules as they stand now - which are overseen by Ofcom, the BBC, S4C and the Electoral Commission - major parties will normally be offered a series of broadcasts before each election. This includes SNP on Channel 4 and SNP and Plaid Cymru on Five.
Other registered parties may qualify for a broadcast on the basis of contesting one sixth or more of the seats up for election.
However, there have been concerns that preventing parties from broadcasting on TV could breach human rights rules on free speech.
In June 2003 a report from the Electoral Commission said that the current system should depend less on informal ad hoc arrangements and should be more clearly defined in law if it is to withstand a legal challenge.
The commission also called for other changes including greater flexibility on the length of broadcasts and allowing parties to take a more innovative approach to the design and production of broadcasts.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport ran a consultation on the suggestions, but has yet to decide its final response.
As a result of all this, and as a matter of principal, broadcasters have to be very careful to ensure they ensure they give balanced coverage to all the political parties.
They also need to take care when focussing on a particular constituency, but more on this closer to polling day.
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