1) All programs to be aired on Channel 14must comply with the FCC regulations. These requirements prohibit obscene or indecent material; promotion or advertising of: gambling, commercial products or services, or candidates for public office. See MPAG Guidelines for Access Channel use for further details.
2) Programs should meet certain minimum technical standards. The tape should deliver a clear, unbroken signal, with clear and understandable sound. If a program is submitted with poor picture or sound quality, we will attempt to contact you, to see if the quality could be improved by using the original version of the program, or by editing the program.
3) Tapes must be delivered to the Parks & Recreation Department, during office hours. (Muskego City Hall). Call if other arrangements are needed.
4) Tape Format: Should be 1/2" full-size VHS or SVHS. Other formats, such as VHS-C, 8mm, Hi-8, 3/4" Umatic, can be used but you should contact us first. We broadcast using SVHS and VHS tape decks. Format should be indicated. Other formats, such as Betamax, may not be used without providing an appropriate playback deck to transfer to VHS or SVHS.
5) Tape speed should be SP (standard play), for best quality and compatibility with our airing decks and editing equipment. EP (extended play) tape speed should not be used. If an event exceeds the two hours that a standard play T120 VHS tape can hold, two or more tapes should be used. If you have a program recorded in extended play, please contact us before submitting it.
6) If the tape was recorded with HIFI or Dolby B sound this should be written on the tape label. We currently do not broadcast using Dolby B, but can use it in editing.
7) Tapes should have either one minute or 90 seconds of "black" (recorded video, faded to black or with lens cap on) at the start of the tape, before the start of the program. Longer lead times may be used if titles are to be inserted onto the original tape, leaving space to add such titles starting one or 1 1/2 minutes from the start of the tape.
This recorded lead serves two purposes. It allows for some leeway for programmed airing times, to let the tape start rolling before it switches on the air and thus avoiding either a blank screen or cutting off part of the program. It also avoids putting actual program material on the part of the tape that gets the most wear, and is most susceptible to playback problems.
MPAG routinely uses one minute of lead time for our own programs.
8) Tapes should have one minute of black at the ending of every tape, after the end of the program. This allows programmed playback to avoid ending on "noise" or whatever old program might have been recorded on the tape.
9) If you wish to have introductory titles added to your original tape, room must be left in addition to the lead time of "black" before the start of the program on the tape. No changes will be made to the tape submitted without a request authorizing such changes. The details of such changes should be included with the tape submitted.
Artwork, printed, photographed, or on computer disk (Amiga or IBM-PC formats only at this time), may be submitted for inclusion in the program.
10) Tapes must have a label with a title, and actual running time, from the start of the taped program to the end of the program, excluding "black" in either lead or trailing end. The name of the person submitting the tape should be written on the tape.
If the lead time on the tape is not one minute, the lead time should be indicated.
Tapes without this timing information must be timed by MPAG's volunteers, or city staff, which may delay scheduling for airing.
11) The name, address, and phone number of the person or group submitting the tape must be provided with the tape in order for the tape to be aired. A Program Scheduling Request form must be filled out for all programs if airing time preferences are desired. A Tape Submission Form and Public Access User Compliance Form are needed for all tapes in order for the tapes to be aired. All forms for access channel use are available from the Parks and Recreation Department.
12) The tape may be picked up after the airing date, at the Recreation Office. Most tapes will be aired within one week of their submission. We will attempt to contact you to inform you of the airing date. If you wish to have the tape air several times, you may request this, and specify when you will wish to pick up the tape. Tapes are typically scheduled for three airing times, and more times may be requested and will be provided if available.
See MPAG Access Channel Scheduling Guidelines and Policies for more details.
13) Taped programs may be donated to Channel 14, if you wish to do so. If the program is expected to be aired indefinitely, we prefer that the program tape be donated to allow us to keep the original for our use. We can make a copy of the program so donated for you, if you desire it, with any titles or other enhancements added.
Note: If you intend a program to be returned, put "Please return" on the tape intended to be returned, and also indicate this on the tape submission form.
14) Production information: If you wish to have titles, credits, or other information added to the ORIGINAL TAPE, rather than to a copy of the tape, this must be indicated on the submission form. Room should be left for this on the beginning of the tape, between the "black" lead and the actual start of the program, if titles are to be added there. Room is also needed for credits at the end of the tape, and this is most flexibly done by recording additional "black" after the end of the program sufficient to cover the ending credits.
Long credits can be provided on a computer 3.5" floppy disk, Amiga or IBM-PC format. ASCII format text files are preferred for this. Common types of long credits include cast member lists, crew lists, sponsors, program information, etc.
A Program Production Plan form is available for this use, but is not necessary in order to have production information used in a program.
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The Release Form for Airing -- Public Access User Compliance Form, "Responsibilities of Individual/Party Requesting Program Submission for Airing on Access Channel", and the Videotape Submission Form's Cablecast Agreement, includes the following key points:
A) The responsibility for the content of any program submitted is solely that of the person or group submitting the tape. Any legal liability incurred due to the airing of a program is solely that of the person or group submitting the tape. The City of Muskego, Department of Parks and Recreation, Warner Cable, and the Muskego Public Access Group cannot be held accountable for the content of material aired on channel 14. Programs should be reviewed to determine if they comply with the FCC regulations and other legal requirements, and can be rejected for airing if they violate these legal requirements, or result in legal action against the access user.
Any legal penalties, court costs, etc., which may result from airing a program with illegal material are the sole responsibility of the access user, the person, persons, or organization who indicate this responsibility on the Tape Submission Form.
B) If any copyrighted material is present in the tape submitted, the person or group submitting the tape takes full responsibility for securing any permission, release, or use waivers, etc., required to air that material. Any violations of copyright laws are the sole responsibility of the person or group submitting the program for airing.
C) MPAG may make a copy of any program submitted for airing, if we choose to do so, unless the person or group submitting the tape indicate that they do not wish to allow this, or the program is a commercially produced copyrighted program and a written release form indicating permission to copy does not accompany the submission.
D) A release form is required for all programs submitted by the public. Groups may obtain a "blanket" release for their submissions. The above restrictions and legal qualifications apply to all programs submitted for airing on Channel 14, even if no release form is signed by the person or group submitting the tape, but we require that the users of our public access channel be aware of the legal requirements and procedures that apply.
Series programming must have a separate record kept for each program in the series, but the release and compliance forms need only be filled out for the first program on the series, with an indication of the time cycle (weekly, biweekly, monthly, etc.) of the series and the number of episodes, with "indefinite" used for series which run on a regular basis.
(rev5 21 Feb 2001)