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Member's Handbook
Selections from Rules of Operation
The handbook is an alphabetical listing of the most pertinent rules that
apply to most producers and their crews. It is not intended to replace the
Rules of Operation that you were given at your first class.
If you did not receive your handbook with your Level I certificate,
we'll be happy to give you one next time you stop by.
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 Download
Member's Handbook
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A B
C D
E F G
H I J K L
M N
O P Q
R S
T U V
W X Y Z
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Access User
An Access User is a member of
Community Access Television who has attended orientation and Level I
training or who has attended orientation and has demonstrated proficiency.
Members must live or work in the City or Erie or belong to an organization
based in the city. In order to make use of CAT facilities and equipment, a
member must have current dues paid.
Advertising
See “Commercial vs. noncommercial”
Age
Any member who is younger than
eighteen
years of age must be accompanied by a trained Access User who accepts
responsibility at all times. The Access User must cosign all forms.
Attendance
Level I class members are expected to
attend all six sessions. A member who misses one session may still be
certified. A person who misses two sessions will receive certification after
full participation in a project outside of class. Anyone who misses three or
more classes will be asked to sign up for a new Level I class. Level II
class members who miss one or more of the three classes are evaluated for
certification on a case by case basis.
Availability
All scheduling of programs,
facilities, and equipment is done on a first-come, first-served,
non-discriminatory basis. Therefore, planning ahead is very important.
Bulletin Board
Citizens and nonprofit organizations, whether
or not they are members of Community Access Television, may submit public
service announcements and announcements for nonprofit community events. The
number permitted to any one organization may be limited by the executive
director. Announcements should be submitted three weeks in advance and run
for one to two weeks.
Censorship
Programs are not censored or previewed
for content. See “Obscene or indecent material.”
Commercial vs. non-commercial
Commercial advertising is strictly
prohibited. This means any material designed to promote the sale of
commercial products or services. Nonprofit organizations may include
“noncommercial solicitation,” which is solicitation designed to generate
revenue or goods to be used in the nonprofit mission of the organization.
Controversial programming
See “Obscene or indecent material.” There is
also a separate controversial programming policy that is available upon
request from the executive director.
Copyright and legal
responsibility
The producer is solely responsible for
copyright liability and for obtaining copyright permission and indicates
acceptance of that responsibility every time he/she signs the cablecast
request form. The producer is also responsible for any content that may be
considered slanderous or libelous or that invades the privacy of another
individual or organization or that is deemed indecent or obscene by a court
of law.
Countdown
Each tape presented for cablecast must
contain ten seconds of black or a countdown immediately preceding the
program and begin within the first thirty seconds of tape.
Crews and crew members
Everyone serving on a crew that uses CAT
facilities or equipment must be trained and current Access Users. The
producer is responsible for scheduling an adequate crew for his or her
productions. A list of trained Access Users is made available to any
current, trained Access User.
Damage
Access Users will not be held responsible
when production equipment breaks down due to age or natural causes. However,
equipment replacement or repair necessitated by negligence or abuse will be
the financial responsibility of the person who caused the problem. If that
person cannot be identified, the Access User who requested use of the
equipment or facility will be held responsible.
Deadlines
Cablecast request: No later than 48 hours
prior to cablecast Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. for weekend
Equipment request: Seven days
Facility request: Seven days
Truck request: Fourteen days
Disciplinary measures
The executive director may reject
access programming for cablecast or refuse to schedule programming or
production time, in the event it can readily be determined that an Access
User: falsified any forms or tampered with the scheduling of access
programs; used any equipment or facilities without the permission of the
executive director or appropriate staff; abused or neglected facilities or
equipment, including attempted repairs; attempted illegal connections to
Cablevision's system, attempted any rewiring of the studio connections,
attached unauthorized accessories, etc.; continually appeared late for
scheduled production training or for scheduled production time; or
continually failed to abide by any rules or regulations contained herein.
Eligibility
Only trained and current members may make use
of any CAT facility or equipment or serve as crew on another member’s
program.
Equipment reservations,
checkout and return
Equipment may be checked out between the
hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Reservations must be
made at least seven days in advance on the appropriate form. Reservations
are made on a first-come, first-served basis. Equipment must be picked up
and checked out at or near the time indicated on the reservation form.
Members must double-check equipment before it is returned to be sure that
all parts and manuals are included. Members are held financially responsible
for all equipment reserved in their name.
Facilities reservations
Requests to use the studio, editing booths,
or dubbing station must be made on the appropriate form at least seven days
in advance. Reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis.
Failure to appear for a scheduled reservation within fifteen minutes of the
scheduled time is considered a cancelled reservation. If the reservation is
for any off-hours time such as evenings or weekends, staff is instructed to
close the facility and leave if the member has not called or appeared and no
other use of the facility is planned.
First-come, first served,
non-discriminatory
All requests are processed on a first-come,
first-served, non-discriminatory basis (as to age, race, creed, gender,
religion, disability, or general content of the programming) and the
executive director or other staff will advise the member in the event a
request cannot be granted due to the filing of a prior request.
Format
See “Tape format”
Imported programs
Programs produced elsewhere may be scheduled
for cablecast on the public access channel provided they are noncommercial
and meet all other rules. They must be sponsored by a current member who
must complete a cablecast request form accepting responsibility for all
content.
Labeling
All tapes submitted for cablecast must be
clearly labeled with the following information:
- the title of the program,
- the name of the producer,
- the running time of the program,
- the date of production, and
- the date the program is scheduled to air, if known.
Tapes submitted without the above information may be returned to the
producer for appropriate labeling without being cablecast. Members provide
their own tapes.
Legal responsibility and
copyright
The producer is solely responsible for
copyright liability and for obtaining copyright permission and indicates
acceptance of that responsibility every time he/she signs the cablecast
request form. The producer is also responsible for any content that may be
considered slanderous or libelous or that invades the privacy of another
individual or organization or that is deemed indecent or obscene by a court
of law.
Limits on equipment checkouts
No more than two camera kits at a time. Four
days maximum checkout including weekend. May not rebook for at least two
days.
Limits on number of playback
hours
Producers are limited to no more than four
hours of actual program cablecast time in any fourteen-day period.
Locally produced
A program is considered locally produced if
produced by an Access User using the equipment or facilities provided by
Community Access Television or his/her own equipment and presented for
cablecast on CAT Channel 2. Programs may be live or videotaped in the CAT
studio or in the local community area of Erie.
Lotteries
Programming may not directly or indirectly
present any lottery information. "Lottery" means any device, scheme, plan,
promotion, contest or other program and/or presentation which involves
directly or indirectly the elements of prize, chance and consideration or
any such device, scheme, plan, promotion, contest or program and/or
presentation which is, has been, or may be declared a lottery under
applicable local, state or federal law.
Mobile production van
Reservations for use of the mobile production
van must be made at least two weeks in advance and have specific
requirements which are listed on the appropriate form. Reservations are made
on a first-come, first-served basis.
Multi-media formats
See “Tape formats”
Non-staff, non-members
Only those people involved in the production
of a program will be allowed in the production area without the express
consent of the executive director or staff on duty, and they must remain in
the production area or associated areas at all times. Non-staff persons in
the production area are the direct responsibility of the Access User
requesting use of the facility.
Obscene or indecent material
Obscene material and material advocating
extreme violence or the overthrow of the government of the United States of
America is prohibited. "Obscene or indecent material" means any material in
a program or any video or audio presentation that would be deemed indecent
or obscene by local community standards and which is not protected speech
according to the Constitution of the United States of America. Material that
is deemed offensive but is protected speech will be cablecast during “safe
harbor” hours as defined by the FCC of 10:00 p.m. through 6:00 a.m.
Producers may voluntarily indicate on the cablecast request form that some
material in their program may be offensive to children and some adults and
may be aired during safe harbor hours. If producers do not voluntarily offer
that the program may be offensive, and if offensive material comes to the
attention of the executive director, the ED may move the program to safe
harbor hours after notifying the producer.
Orientation
Attendance at a regularly scheduled
orientation session is a prerequisite for attending classes or having access
to CAT equipment or facilities.
Programs submitted for
cablecast
Programs presented for cablecast must
currently be on half-inch videotape and contain ten seconds of black or a
countdown immediately preceding the program. The program must begin within
the first thirty seconds of tape and be followed by at least 60 seconds of
black. There should be no extraneous video or audio material on the tape.
Only one program per videotape is permitted. We recommend that producers use
brand-new tapes for each program. All tapes must be picked up within 30 days
of notification or the tape will be recycled. CAT is not responsible for
loss of or damage to submitted videotapes.
Proficiency
All Access Users must either complete
training at the appropriate level or demonstrate proficiency before being
granted access to facilities and equipment.
Responsibilities,
general
*The Access User requesting use of the access
production facilities is responsible for the conduct, actions and behavior
of the crew, as well as that of any talent, guests or observers, while
involved in the production.
*Access Users are responsible for leaving all facilities and equipment in
the same condition as they found them.
*Equipment replacement or repair necessitated by negligence or abuse will be
the financial responsibility of the person who caused the problem. If that
person cannot be identified, the Access User requesting production time and
cablecasting rights will be held responsible.
*No food or drink is permitted anyplace where there is production or editing
equipment.
*Smoking and/or the use of alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs are strictly
prohibited. Such use will result in immediate ejection from the premises and
possible loss of access production/cablecast rights.
*All programs produced using CAT equipment must appear on the public access
channel.
*Producers are responsible for all content of their programs.
Reservations
See “Equipment reservations, checkout and
return,” “Facilities reservations,” “Mobile production van”
Scheduling
Scheduling is done on the master calendar by
staff only. We strictly adhere to the seven-day requirement for facilities
use and the fourteen-day requirement for the mobile production van. Requests
for field equipment that are within the seven-day window are only granted if
staff has time to fulfill them.
Sponsorship of imported
programs
See “Imported programs”
Sponsors or underwriters
Mention of financial support by commercial
sponsors is prohibited except for the following: At the beginning and/or end
of the program, any or all of the following--the name, address, telephone
number, website, depiction of the sponsor’s place of business, logo of the
sponsor--may be displayed by a visual and/or audio announcement of ten
seconds or less in duration using the words, “Funding for this program has
been provided by (name of sponsor).”
Standards
All programs must meet minimum audio and
video technical standards, which are defined as follows:
Minimum video quality is defined as video luminance levels within the range
of 90-100 I.R.E. and black levels of 7.5 I.R.E. Poor video quality is
defined as any levels which drastically vary from the above standard.
Minimum audio quality is defined as properly modulated audio levels without
audible distortion. A continuous audio control track must be present on all
taped programs submitted for cablecasting. Poor audio quality is defined as
over-modulated audio levels causing audible distortion.
Talent
Those people who appear in front of the
camera as actors, announcers, or other talent do not have to be members of
Community Access Television. However, if they wish to be involved in any
technical aspect of the production, including editing and all other
functions, they must be trained Access Users.
Tape formats
Programs are taped on various formats,
including half-inch VHS, Beta, mini-DV, and DVC-Pro. Tapes submitted for
cablecast must at present be on standard half-inch VHS tapes. We recommend a
brand-new tape for each program. All tapes submitted for cablecast must be
clearly labeled with the following information:
- the title of the program,
- the name of the producer,
- the running time of the program,
- the date of production, and
- the date the program is scheduled to air, if known.
Tapes submitted without the above information may be returned to the
producer for appropriate labeling without being cablecast. Members provide
their own tapes.
Truck
See “Mobile production van”
Use of facilities and equipment
(See also “Equipment reservations” and
“Facilities reservations”)
If any facilities or equipment belonging to
Community Access Television are used to produce a program, the program must
appear on the public access channel. Facilities and equipment may not be
employed for private use.
Van
See “Mobile production van”
Video formats
See “Tape formats”
Underwriters
See “Sponsors”
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