MATV Operating Rules & Procedures      
(revised January 2000)

"Malden Access Television, Inc. (MATV) is a tax exempt charitable, technological and educational corporation established in 1988 to manage and operate the Public (Channel 3), Education (Channel 15) and Government (Channel 16) access channels of the Malden, Massachusetts cable television system. Under the terms of the city's cable television license, MATV receives an annual percentage of gross revenue from the cable operator(s) "to foster the development of community access television in Malden". With studios and offices located at 145 Pleasant Street, MATV provides training, equipment and channel time to individuals and organizations in Malden."

IN SUPPORT OF THIS MISSION, MATV IS COMMITTED TO:

I. MEMBERSHIP

Any person, age 14 or older who resides, works, or is affiliated with an organization in Malden may become a member of MATV. Members who are 18 and older may vote in the annual election.

A. Types of Membership:

    Affiliate - Any person can become an affiliate member of MATV. Affiliate membership is for those interested in supporting MATV, but with no interest in taking training workshops or using equipment. Affiliate members receive the quarterly newsletter, all promotional mailings, and Membership Discounts. The monthly program guide will be mailed to Affiliate members who reside in Malden.

    Individual - Individual membership is open to anyone who resides in Malden. Another form of the individual membership is a family membership. A family membership covers one family member at the rate of an individual member with an additional charge for each family member. Individual members receive:

    Organizational - Any Malden-based organization may become an organizational member. Organizational members receive all privileges of an Individual Membership, with the following exception:
    1. organizations as a whole receive one (1) vote to the election of members to the Board of Directors
    2. specialized training workshops for three or more persons which are specifically geared to the needs of the organization

B. Procedure for Becoming A Member:

    1. Applicants must show a picture ID, plus 2 proofs of Malden residency (for Individual membership) or a letter from a Malden-based organization (for Organizational membership)
    2. Applicants must pay the current membership fee or do equivalent volunteer work
    3. Applicants must complete a membership application form
    4. All MATV members are required to attend a one evening orientation class prior to taking any training workshops. Orientations are recommended even for Affiliate members.
    5. All Individual and Organizational Members are required to attend the appropriate basic workshop to become certified to use any production equipment.
II. PROGRAMMING
A. Scheduling of Programs

1. Requesting time:
Any Malden resident or organization may request time for cablecasting a   program on one of the three access channels. MATV staff will determine which programs are appropriate for each channel. Those requesting time for programs not produced at MATV must submit a "Cablecast Request Form" along with the finished program at least a week in advance of available programming time. Programs produced outside of Malden require a local sponsor. Local sponsors must attend an MATV orientation prior to scheduling a program.

2. Series Programming:
A series is considered to be at least four new programs with a consistent theme or format. Members producing/presenting a series can receive a regular time slot. Series producers must make continuous use of their time slot with no more than three repeats of a program in order to hold on to that time slot. A regular time slot for a local series will be guaranteed for a cycle of 12 months from the date first cablecast in that time slot. Any other local producer vying for that particular time slot must first produce at least four programs in his/her series. The time slot would then be given over to that producer after the one year cycle is ended. All attempts will first be made to find time slots acceptable to all producers.

3. Time Slots:
Time slots for Channel 3 (Public Access) are available on a first come, first served basis and in accordance with general guidelines detailed below (a-g). Program time slots for Channel 15 (Educational Access) are scheduled by the Educational Access Coordinator with guidance from the Channel 15 Oversight Committee. Program time slots for Channel 16 (Government Access) are scheduled by the MATV Government Access Coordinator with guidance from the Channel 16 Oversight Committee. In general, the MATV staff will program all three channels with the goal of presenting a coherent schedule to cable subscribers, and by considering audience building, diversity of programming, and technical/logistical factors.

  1. Locally produced programs will have priority over imported sponsored programming in terms of time slots and the number of times recablecast
  2. Call-in programs will have priority over programs with no call-in feature
  3. Live programs will have priority over taped programs
  4. Series programs will have priority over single programs
  5. Original (first run) programs will have priority over repeat programs
  6. Single programs will be cablecast in both peak and non-peak viewing times and will be scheduled at least three times during the first full month of cablecast
  7. Programs deemed unsuitable for children will be cablecast after 10 P.M.
B. Requirements:

1. Technical Requirements:
All progams cablecast on MATV must meet minimum technical requirements. MATV staff has the right to not show a tape that can either not be heard or seen by the cablecasters viewing the channel signal.

2. Submission Requirements:
(a) All programs must have clear legible labels. Label on spine must include:

(b) Label must include all of the above PLUS Producer Name and Phone number
(c) Tape boxes (sleeves) should be labeled with Program Title
(d) Only one program per tape may be submitted for cablecast
(e) Programs should begin with 30 seconds of color bars and a 10-second countdown and be black at the end of the program for at least 20 seconds. Programs must have continuous control track from beginning to end.
(f) All programs must be rounded off in length to the nearest quarter of an hour. A shelf of promos, public service announcements, and station IDs are available to our local producers for this purpose.
(g) All programs produced at MATV must end with a disclosure similar to the following: "The views expressed on this program are those of the producer(s), [host(s)], [guest(s)], [and callers] and do not necessarily reflect the views of Malden Access Television, the City of Malden, or the cable operator."

C. Access for Political Candidates:
Political candidates are subject to the same rules and procedures as other users of the MATV access channels in addition to the following.

  1. The Government Access Channel Bulletin Board will be made available (one page per week per candidate) for individual use by political candidates for office.
  2. Such use will begin ninety (90) days prior to a primary or general election day.
  3. Programming endorsing any particular candidate will end twenty four (24) hours prior to election day.
D. Prohibitions/Clearances:
  1. Producers or those who are requesting time on access channels are fully responsible for the content of their programs.
  2. Commercial advertising is prohibited.
E. Publicizing Programs:
    MATV staff will publicize the program schedule through a printed monthly program guide, local newspapers and the electronic bulletin boards. Two weeks advance notice prior to publication deadline is necessary for non-series program to be included in monthly program guide.
    Individual producers are encouraged to do press releases and further publicity for their own programs. All promotional materials must be approved by MATV staff to ensure accuracy of information conveyed.
    Community Bulletin Board:
      Messages may be run by nonprofit agencies and organizations and by MATV producers promoting their programs
      Messages must be submitted on the proper MATV form
      New messages begin on Monday and will run up to the day of an event. Ongoing messages, except those promoting an MATV program, will run for three weeks
      The deadline for submissions is Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. for messages to begin the following Monday. NO EXCEPTIONS.
      Messages promoting an event may be received up to 45 days preceding the date of the event and will begin running not more than 30 days prior to it
      No agency, organization or MATV producer may run more than two different messages simultaneously
      MATV may edit messages for space and clarity
III. PRODUCTION

Equipment is only available for productions intended to be run on one of the three access channels. MATV members wishing to produce a program must file a program proposal and have it approved by staff prior to their first reservation of production equipment or facilities. Certified producers are allowed access to equipment on one program proposal at a time. Exceptions will be made at the discretion of the staff.

A. Ownership:

MATV Members own their program. Producers may keep the master tape of their program provided they purchase the actual cassette. Unless other arrangements are made, MATV has the right to maintain a copy of any program produced with MATV's resources for unlimited cablecast or for promotional purposes. Copyright notices should be displayed only if they are actually obtained. B. Unfinished Programs: Producers wishing to cancel/withdraw a program proposal must do so in writing. Program proposals not acted upon for two months will be canceled and constitute grounds for a written warning. Three program proposal withdrawals will come under staff review and could lead to suspension of access privileges.
    Donations, Sponsorship and Credits:
    Donations may be sought only after consulting with MATV staff.
    Sponsorships will be dealt with on a situational basis by the staff.
    Commercial advertising is prohibited on the access channels.
    All programs using MATV facilities, resources or equipment must credit Malden Access Television, Inc.
    MATV members are encouraged to seek grants from outside sources for their productions.
IV. TRAINING

Any Individual or Organizational Access Member is eligible to participate in a variety of workshops.

    Workshop Offerings
    Class schedules will be distributed to members. Class reservations are on a first come, first served basis.
    All basic level workshops are offered free of charge.
    Classes for specific groups or needs can be arranged on an ad hoc basis.
    MATV encourages qualified members to make proposals to teach classes which are not offered by the staff.
    Certification
    To become certified to use portable (ENG) equipment and editing facilities, attendance in the Basic Video Production workshop series and successful completion of a certification tape is required. Members must produce at least one program beyond their certification tape before taking advanced portable or advanced editing classes.
    To become certified to use the studio facilities, a member must complete the studio workshop series and crew on at least two studio programs
    To become certified to use the portable studio equipment, a member must complete a Portable Studio Workshop series and do at least one portable studio production as the producer (Prerequisite: Studio Certification)
V. EQUIPMENT/RESOURCES
    General Guidelines:
    MATV certified members may reserve portable production, post-production and studio production equipment on a first come, first served basis for the production of programming on Channel 3 (Public Access).
    Equipment may not be used in hazardous situations without prior approval of the MATV staff.
    Members wishing to reserve equipment should file their program proposal with the MATV staff before their first reservation. Improper bookings will be considered canceled.
    Location Production Equipment:
    A normal booking is a 24 hour use of equipment. Friday or Saturday pick-up/Monday morning return constitutes one booking.
    The amount of equipment available for a given request will be determined by the staff, based on the experience of the equipment members, their needs, the needs of others, and the equipment repair schedule.
    It is required that equipment be reserved no less than 48 hours in advance and no more than 10 days in advance.
    Bookings are limited to two uses in any week per program.
    There is a maximum of four uses per finished program. Those wanting to make certification tapes may make up to two bookings.
    In the event that a producer exceeds the maximum allotment of time for portable production, he/she must pay $25 per use.
    Exceptions to the rules may be made at the time of the program proposal approval at the discretion of the staff and subject to the review by the Technical Director.
    Equipment Pick-Up: Equipment must be picked up at the MATV office by the certified member who reserved it, unless alternate arrangements have been approved in advance by the Technical Director. Alternative arrangements can be made to release equipment to another certified member only.
    Equipment Return: Equipment must be returned at the time indicated on the Equipment Check-Out Form. Borrowers are responsible for notifying the staff in writing if there are any problems with the equipment. Certified members cannot borrow additional equipment until all items have been returned in good working order. Hours for equipment return will be scheduled by the staff.
    It is the responsibility of each individual producer to be sure each kit is complete and in good working order before leaving MATV. The producer is responsible for any loss or damage.
    Post-Production (Editing):
    Members must not change the editing wiring, connections, or bring in accessories.
    Edit time must be reserved no less than 48 hours in advance.There is an 8 hour per week reservation maximum in two 4-hour sessions per program.
    Access producers may not use more than 30 hours of reserved edit time per program.
    Producers may use up to 4 hours per day.
    Members may have use of logging facilities and it should be scheduled like any other equipment.
    A certified member may be required to present his/her/ access ID card if requested.
    Staff will ensure that edit rooms are vacated promptly at the time scheduled and left clear and ready to use.
    Studio Production:
    Producers will provide the Technical Director with a completed crew sheet at least one week in advance of a shoot. Crew position assignments are the responsibility of the certified producer. All studio crew must be certified or approved by the MATV staff. Interns and volunteers may be available to assist in the productions.
    It is recommended that studio time be reserved no less than one week in advance. The studio may be used for a maximum of one 6-hour block per week per program. There is a maximum of two studio uses at 6 hours each per finished program.
    Studio-based program series with regular time slots will have priority use of the studio. However, those producers must follow the regular sign-out procedure.
    Staff will ensure that producers and their crew leave studios clean and orderly and vacate them within the time allocated or be subject to possible loss of privileges.
    Portable Studio:
    It is suggested that reservations for the portable studio be made at least two weeks in advance with a certified crew of at least five members and transportation arrangements made.
    Cancellations:
    Members are encouraged to give immediate, but no less than 24 hours, notice of cancellation for reservations of MATV facilities, equipment or classes.
    Staff may reassign edit rooms or portable equipment reserved by access members who arrive more than 30 minutes past their scheduled time.
    Member abuse of this policy will result in an initial warning notice, followed by suspension of privileges for six weeks.
VI. RESPONSIBILITY & INSURANCE:

Members are responsible for the MATV facilities and equipment signed out to them. This includes responsibility for the actions of guests, assistants and others, and for loss, damage or theft.

    Violations:
In order for these policies to be effective and to keep operations running smoothly, a penalty system has been instituted. There are two types of rules which, if violated, can result in restrictions on an MATV Member. The Executive Director or designee is authorized to issue warnings and suspensions. Warnings will be in effect for one year from the date of issue.
    Major Violations: Major violations will result in an immediate 90-day suspension of membership. These may include, but are not limited to:
      Commercial or profit-making use of facilities
      Misrepresentation of member's affiliation with MATV to others
      Falsifying forms
      Taking or reserving equipment without staff permission
      Abuse of equipment, including attempted repair
      Changing the wiring or connections or attaching accessories
      Tampering with equipment or scheduling procedure
      Verbal or physical abuse or sexual harassment of staff or other members
      Consumption of unauthorized alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs on premises.
    Minor Violations: Minor violations will result in the following series of actions within a one year period:
    First Violation.............Verbal warning
    Second Violation....... Written warning
    Third Violation............30-day Membership Suspension
    Minor violations may include, but are not limited to:
    Failure to attend a scheduled training session
    Failure to cancel a reservation
    Late pick-up or return of equipment without notification and approval
    Mishandling of equipment
    Smoking in any part of building
    Eating, drinking, in non-designated areas
    Failure to cleanup after using the facilities
    Failure to cancel a scheduled training session
    Failure to vacate a studio/edit room: within the time prescribed
    Failure to follow the prescribed rules for reserving studio time
    Failure of a trustee to attend a scheduled board meeting
    Appeals:
MATV members and producers are encouraged to resolve difficulties on the staff level. Anybody wishing to appeal a decision of the staff may do so in the following manner:
    Within 10 days of an action of the staff, a member may request a meeting with the Membership Committee in order to resolve the situation.
    The Board of Directors may elect to review an action at their regular meeting, or have a designated Board Committee to deal with the appeal, upon request by the Membership Committee.
    Insurance:
MATV has an insurance policy for the equipment while it is being used by members. Premiums are paid by MATV and the policy is in MATV's name. In the event that equipment is stolen or damaged and the insurance company honors the claim, the Access Member is responsible for the deductible, which is 20% of the amount of the claim with $250 as a minimum and $1,000 as a maximum. In order for the insurance company to honor the claim in the case of thefts:
    A police report must be filed;
    Equipment cannot have been left unattended;
    There must be proof of forcible entry; and
    Equipment must not have been left in a vehicle overnight.
In the event the insurance company does not honor a claim, it is the responsibility of the Access Member to reimburse MATV for the full replacement value. VII. OTHER CONDITIONS:
    Public File:
    There will be a file available to MATV members, which includes the names and phone numbers of MATV members, for the purpose of identifying crew for program productions, provided the individual approves the use of their name in this manner. Public and MATV files may be inspected during normal business hours by appointment only.

    Volunteers/Interns:
    MATV relies heavily on the services of volunteers. MATV members are encouraged to volunteer during and after their training/certification. Those who are non-residents and cannot become an Access Member, may volunteer if they already have video production skills and are working on a specific program under the guidance of MATV staff. Students who are receiving high school or college credits are encouraged to intern. Interns receive the equipment privileges of an Access Member during the length of their internship.

    Misrepresentation:
    Access Members must not misrepresent themselves as employees of MATV or as having the ability to speak for MATV. Such actions may result in a suspension of access privileges.

    Facility Upkeep:
    No animals are allowed in the building except for service animals or as part of a production. Smoking is not allowed anywhere in the building. MATV provides some props and supplies for sets. Members may store props on the premises, in the basement, at their own risk.

    Right to Refuse:
    MATV staff reserves the right to refuse the use of its facilities to any individual who appears to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs or who interfere with the orderly conduct of business.

    Indemnification:
    Users of the access channels shall indemnify MATV, Inc., the cable operator, and the City of Malden and its employees against any and all liabilities arising out of any use of facilities and resources or out of breach of the Operating Rules & Procedures.

    Liability Insurance:
    MATV will secure and maintain liability insurance for its Director and Officers for all potential civil claims made against the corporation.

    Interpretation:
    Where the implementation of these procedures are subject to interpretation, decisions shall be at the discretion of the Board, Executive Director or designee.

    Amendments:
    The Board of Directors reserves the right to amend these policies on an ad hoc basis. Members will be notified of any changes through the newsletter.

    Unusual Situations:
    Any situation in which there is not an operating rule or procedure will be temporarily governed by the judgment of the Executive Director or staff person on duty and the issue referred for discussion at the next Board meeting.

    Suggestions and Ideas:
    Members are encouraged to submit ideas and suggestions to the President of the Board of Directors.