World News
Brazil launches free TV and radio election ads for presidential candidates
Incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro begin broadcast campaigning ahead of the October vote.
The short version
- Brazil's official free broadcast advertising period for presidential candidates began Friday ahead of the Oct. 4 first-round election.
- Incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro are polling neck and neck in the presidential race.
- Broadcast stations are required to reserve daily time slots for candidate spots, with airtime allocated based on party and coalition size.
Key facts
- Brazil's free television and radio campaign advertisements for presidential candidates officially began on Friday ahead of the first-round election scheduled for Oct. 4.[Associated Press]
- President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is seeking a fourth nonconsecutive term and is running close in polls with Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro.[Associated Press]
- Broadcasters are mandated to reserve 14 minutes daily for 30-second campaign spots and 12-minute-and-30-second presidential blocks until the first round of voting.[Associated Press]
- Lula's coalition received 5 minutes and 31 seconds of the presidential broadcast block, while Flávio Bolsonaro's party secured 4 minutes and 20 seconds, with the remainder split between two other parties.[Associated Press]
- If the presidential election proceeds to a second-round runoff on Oct. 25, both remaining candidates will receive equal airtime.[Associated Press]
What remains uncertain
- The extent to which traditional broadcast advertising will sway voters relative to digital and social media platforms remains uncertain.[Associated Press]