Political Programming Policy

City of Erie Cable TV Access Corporation
Policy on Political Programming passed by CECTAC Board of Trustees 14 April 1997

Introduction

CECTAC promotes and encourages the free exchange of ideas and opinions through the use of Community Access Television. CECTAC recognizes the role that Community Access Television can play in the political process by providing a venue for forums, debates and voter education that is available, fair, and free of costs. Because of this, CECTAC needs to develop rules and guidelines for the use of Community Access Television to insure that all candidates have an equal access to the medium.

Rules of Operation

CECTAC has standing Rules of Operation for all access users, and all of those rules apply to candidates seeking office including special exceptions noted in this document. Please read and understand the obligations and responsibilities attached to the use of Community Access Television. CECTAC will offer all “legally qualified candidates,” as defined by the Rules, a specific time period (15 minutes per candidate) to introduce themselves to the Erie voters. CECTAC will provide the necessary equipment and personnel for production of this introduction. CECTAC will also advertise the cablecasting of this programming on Erie Cablevision channel 2A. CECTAC will keep all candidates to the specified length of the introduction program. If a program is longer than 15 minutes, CECTAC will stop the tape and go to other programming. There are no exceptions to this policy.

There will be no cablecasting of political programming, produced by or for a legally qualified candidate, within the last five days prior to an election, except for replays of programs that were previously cablecast. There will be no exceptions to guidelines specified in the Rules regarding program length, number of replays in a given period and all applicable content and production guidelines.

Candidates are afforded all of the rights and privileges that are granted to all Access Users. CECTAC sincerely hopes that all candidates for offices affecting our region will use Access to inform the electorate as to the candidate’s strengths and ideas.