The Broadcasting Commission has issued new guidelines for coverage of the debate ahead of the second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty this October. The guidelines clarify that broadcasters are not required to allocate equal airtime to both the 'yes' and 'no' sides of the debate, as long as the coverage is fair, impartial and objective. Broadcasters have previously allocated airtime on a 50-50 basis in order to comply with the requirement for fairness. The situation was criticised by some politicians in the wake of the initial Lisbon defeat amid allegations that it allowed some 'no' campaigners to spread false claims about the treaty.