Policies and Procedures

I. PREAMBLE

1. 1.The purpose of these Rules and Regulations is to clearly define the rights and responsibilities of Princeton TV and the applicant in the use of facilities provided by Princeton TV. The primary purpose of these facilities is to encourage Princeton Borough and Township residents to take the opportunity provided by Princeton TV in the production of local television programming.
   

2. 2.These Rules and Regulations have been developed and approved by the Joint Princeton Cable Committee, the governing body which oversees the cable franchise and Princeton TV. The Joint Princeton Cable Committee reserves the right to repeal, revise, or amend these Rules and Regulations.
   

3. 3.Any violation of these Rules and Regulations may, at the discretion of Princeton TV, cause Princeton TV to withhold the use of its equipment and facilities from the violator.
   

4. 4.All applicants for use of Princeton TV equipment and facilities should be aware that they may be held accountable for their actions by the same laws that govern any public activity.
   

5. 5.Any violation of an access user's right to use the equipment or facilities in accordance with these Rules and Regulations will be reported to the Joint Princeton Cable Committee for appropriate actions.
   

II. APPLICATIONS

1. 1.A user will be defined as any Princeton Borough or Princeton Township resident applying for use of Princeton TV production equipment and facilities.
   

2. 2.Any individual or group may use the access channel according to these rules. Access to this channel will be first-come, first-served, and nondiscriminatory. Proof of age and residency are required with the submission of application to use access equipment and facilities.
   

3. 3.If the applicant is less than 18 years of age s/he must have an adult co-sign the application form and agreement. The co-signer is then responsible, along with the applicant for any financial responsibility connected with the use of Princeton TV equipment and/or facilities other than normal wear and tear.
   

4. 4.Princeton TV will authorize non-residents to use access equipment subject to meeting one of the following requirements:
   

1. a.Full-time student of an educational institution located in Princeton Borough or Princeton Township.
   

2. b.An employee or authorized representative of an institution or government agency that does business in Princeton Borough or PrincetonTownship.
   

3. c.Members of an organization that serves or is located in Princeton Borough or Princeton Township.
   

4. d.Others willing to submit their program for review by Princeton TV prior to cablecasting.
   

1. Priority:
   

2. •Non-residents meeting the requirements of 4a of these regulations have priority over non-residents meeting the requirements of 4b-d.
   

3. •Similarly, non-residents meeting the requirements of 4b of these regulations have priority over non-residents meeting the requirements of 4c-d.
   

4. •Lastly, non-residents meeting the requirements of 4c have priority over non-residents meeting the requirements of 4d.
   

5. •Residents of the franchise area, however, have priority for checking out equipment and using facilities and may pre-empt non-residents. Communityy
   

6. •access equipment and facilities exist for community programming purposes and are not intended for commercial or private use.
   

III. USER RESPONSIBILITY

1. 1.The applicant assumes full responsibility for use of Princeton TV equipment and facilities, other than normal wear and tear.
   

2. 2.Persons using Princeton TV's post-production facilities will, at all times, be under the supervision and authority of the facilitator. All use of the equipment and/or facilities or granting of authority to do so will be done by the facilitator. Users of the channel may not present any material designed to promote the sale of commercial products or services. This includes any advertising by, or on the behalf of candidates for public office.
   

3. 3.The applicant must be sure that, if the use of music and non-music copyrighted material is involved, the appropriate copyright clearances have been obtained.
   

4. 4.Regarding the use of the post-production equipment or check-out of portable production equipment the following stipulations will be observed:
   

1. a.Users are requested to arrive at least five minutes before their scheduled time of appearance.
   

2. b.In order to protect video equipment from smoke, spills or other damage, all users shall not smoke, snack, or bring drinks into the facilities.
   

3. c.Users and other participants may not interfere with the production and/or post-production time of another user.
   
   

4. 4.Princeton TV reserves the right to refuse the use of any of its equipment and facilities to users found in violation of these rules. Princeton TV also reserves the right to temporarily refuse the use of any of its equipment and/or facilities to any person under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or otherwise not under full control of his/her senses. Making false or misleading statements in the application will be grounds for forfeiture of the privilege to use the access channel, equipment, and facilities.
   

5. 5.Princeton TV may refuse to lend equipment to anyone who has, in the experience of the community access staff, misused the equipment, failed to return it on time, or in any other way abused the privileges of using community access equipment or facilities.
   

6. 6.The user is responsible for canceling production equipment or postproduction facility time that will not be used. All cable access users are expected to be prompt for their reservations. Any user who is over 15 minutes late for scheduled reservations may have their equipment and/or facilities given to other users. Any user who fails to cancel three scheduled reservations will be placed on a 60-day probation. If another offense occurs, and 30-day suspension from public access will be authorized.
   

IV. PRINCETON TV RESPONSIBILITY

1. 1.Princeton TV will provide the use of production equipment and postproduction facilities on a first-come, first-served, nondiscriminatory basis to the residents of Princeton Borough and Princeton Township.
   

2. 2.Princeton TV will provide a qualified person to offer technical and programming assistance to channel users in order to assure optimum technical quality.
   

3. 3.Princeton TV will not edit, or alter in any way, the content of user material without the permission of the user.
   

4. 4.Princeton TV will keep for public inspection all applications for use of the channel and a complete record of the names and addresses of all persons or groups who request access time. Princeton TV will retain all records for a period of two years.
   
   

V. EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES

1. 1.Princeton TV will provide the use of production equipment and postproduction facilities on a first-come, first-served, nondiscriminatory basis to the residents of Princeton Borough and Princeton Township. Princeton TV equipment and facilities are to be used only in the use of public access programming.
   

2. 2.Scheduling procedures for cable access equipment check-out will be developed by the access facilitator and available to users at the access center.
   

3. 3.For field production, camcorders and the necessary supplemental production gear will be supplied free of charge to any applicant qualifying under the terms of these Rules and Regulations. Equipment will be made available on a schedule to be determined by the facilitator. In order for the facilitator to ensure that equipment is available for check-out, check-out times should be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance.
   

4. 4.For post-production, tape-to-tape editing facilities may be used free of charge by any applicant qualifying under the terms of these Rules and Regulations. Editing time will be available on a schedule to be determined by the facilitator. In order for the facilitator to ensure that equipment is available, editing times must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance.
   

5. 5.Portable equipment is not available for check-out during portable equipment training seminars. In this case, priority is given to the workshop so that the equipment is available to educate and certify community members.
   

6. 6.Princeton TV does not provide S-VHS or VHS tape for users. However, a list of local videotape providers will be posted at the center.
   

7. 7.The access user is required to complete, and sign, an equipment check out form indicating all borrowed equipment, and a statement that said equipment is in good working order at time of check out, and that user assumes responsibility for any damage. Upon return, equipment will be thoroughly checked by the facilitator to ensure full return and to check for damage. The user will be provided a copy of the form indicating full return of the equipment.
   

VI. PUBLIC ACCESS SCHEDULE PROCEDURE

1. 1.All users must assume all liability for program content and agree to indemnify Princeton TV for all liability or other injury due to program content. All users must sign the Public Access Channel Agreement, included in Appendix A of these Rules and Regulations. The following rules govern the program content of all community access programming.
   

2. Community access programming must not contain:
   

1. a.Obscene or indecent matter.
   

2. b.Advertising material designed to promote the sale of commercial products or services. This includes advertisement by or on behalf of officially announced candidates for public office.
   

3. c.The direct solicitation of funds for any and all purposes.
   

4. d.Material requiring union residual, or other payment including but not limited to talent and crew unless those payments have been paid or waived.
   

5. e.Material which constitutes libel, slander, invasion of privacy, or publicity rights, unfair competition, violation of trademark or copyright, or which might violate any local, state, or federal law.
   

6. f.Materials which require appropriate rights from broadcast stations, networks, sponsors, music licensing organizations, performers, representatives, copyright holders and any other persons as may be necessary for cablecast unless the community producer presents written authorization for the use of such materials.
   
   

2. 2.A Scheduling procedures for cable access programming will be developed by the access facilitator and be available to access users at the access center.
   

3. 3.Access programming must be submitted on a properly labeled VHS or S-VHS videotape. Submitted material of unviewable technical quality and/or unacceptably poor audio quality may be withheld from cablecasting. Precise standards covering all technical requirements will be developed by the facilitator and made available to users at the access center.
   

4. 4.There are no theoretical limitations imposed on the running time of any Public Access program. However, practical and logistical factors, such as channel time availability, which may dictate the limitations on program length.
   

5. 5.It is the stated intent of Princeton TV to neither inhibit or restrict the use of the access channel, but to insure that all persons and groups wishing to use the Public Access facilities have an equal and fair opportunity to do so, Princeton TV reserves the right to impose limitations where it deems the public interest is not being maintained. The monopolization of the public access channel by one or a few select users is not deemed to be in the public interest.
   

VII. TRAINING PROGRAM

1. 1.Princeton TV will conduct a series of workshops to make users aware of the production capability of the community access facilities. These workshops are designed to train and certify users to operate community communications equipment. In order to be certified, a user is required to complete a workshop series that covers rules and equipment operation. Experienced video participants may be issued certification by passing a standardized performance test.
   

2. 2.These regular workshops are open to the public on a first-come, first-served registration basis. Groups having special needs, however, may request special workshops.
   

3. 3.A standardized performance test before a user may be certified to use access facilities and equipment.