Purpose: To determine criteria for accepting content produced by outside entities for inclusion on Ch. 165 and on ColoradoChannel.net. This document is intended to guide decisions around accepting and scheduling content submitted by an outside entity, separate from the Colorado Channel Authority Board (CCAB) or any entity the CCAB has hired to produce content for the Colorado Channel, not intended to guide the internal production priorities and decisions of the Colorado Channel Authority. The government should not aim to control public debate, critique, or commentary regarding the activities of government, and the Colorado Channel is not an outlet for such content.
1. Policy:
- Additional Content Authority: The authority to determine programming policies for the Colorado Channel is held entirely by the CCAB and its designees. The CCAB has established an “Additional Content Committee” to develop and enforce decisions regarding any outside content to be cablecast on the Colorado Channel.
- Limited to State Policy-Making Entities: Additional content may be submitted only by State Policy-Making entities, including all three branches of state government and their respective offices, departments, divisions, commissions, and agencies. Content created by a third-party organization will only be considered if it is submitted in partnership with a Colorado State Policy-Making Entity. The submission process includes:
- The producer, or entity responsible for producing the content, will first fill out the Colorado Channel Application for Air Time Form in its entirety.
- The Application for Air Time Form, and the program must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the requested air time.
- The program must meet the quality criteria (see Quality Criteria).
- The program will either be accepted, rejected, or given conditional approval (see Result of Submission) with written response from the CCAB Additional Content Committee.
2. Guidelines for accepting content: (including type of programming, length, and quality)
- Focus on Colorado State Government: The focus of the CCA is limited to Colorado State Government, designed to provide public access and information to the activities of state policy-making entities. The broadcast programming will be committed to reflecting the House and Senate proceedings as its first priority. Additional content may be submitted only by State Policy-Making entities, including all three branches of state government and their respective offices, commissions, departments, divisions and agencies.
- Open & Accessible Government: The CCA shall aim to increase the transparency and accessibility of the work of Colorado State government.
- Direct and Unfiltered: The CCA shall provide direct public access to State government, distinct from media institutions that may filter or interpret governmental activities. Additional content is bound by the same guideline.
- Minimal Editing or Interpretation: The CCA aims to provide high-quality, primary coverage of state government activities. Information summarized, interpreted, or filtered in a way that represents a specific bias or perspective will generally not be accepted.
- Noncommercial: Commercial advertising is prohibited, and any commercial sponsorship or underwriting is required to follow these guidelines:
- No underwriting for house or senate coverage.
- Underwriting for additional content cannot impact the content itself. Once the CCAB has determined a production to do for the year, it may seek underwriting support for it, but sponsors/underwriters can’t suggest or even give feedback on the content.
- Recognition: Sponsors will be recognized with either an onscreen “Brought to you by…” before and/or after additional content on Comcast Ch. 165, placement on a Sponsors page on www.coloradochannel.net, or a combination of both.
- Non-Interference: It is the intent of the Colorado Channel Authority that video coverage not change or modify State Government procedures, or be designed to influence State Government.
- Increased Participation: Content should be designed to encourage public engagement in their government.
- Education: CCA programming should help educate and inform viewers about the structure and function of state government, including how to participate in the process of policy-making as a citizen of Colorado.
- Copyrighted Material: Content must not contain any material that the producer does not own or have permission to use.
- Permission to rebroadcast: By submitting content, the content provider gives the Colorado Channel permission to air the content, in perpetuity, at the sole discretion of the CCAB, or whomever it designates; currently the Additional Content committee.
- Election Oriented Programming and Information:
- All election programming shall comply with United States Federal Communications Regulations (47 C.F.R. §76.205 et seq., subpart G “Cable casting”). The CCA shall not exercise any editorial control over any election program. The CCA shall exercise its best efforts to fairly and impartially accommodate all such requests.
- The CCA will not be used for political campaigning by individuals or organizations seeking public office or legislation. In addition, the Colorado Channel cannot be used for solicitation of funds for political purposes. The Colorado Channel will not be used to endorse either directly or indirectly, a person running for public office or legislation or to promote or oppose any ballot issue.
- Any information or programming produced by or for the Colorado Channel may contain information related to identifying persons running for public office, the outcome of elections or addressing ballot issues will be considered news programming, with the main objective to provide citizens with news concerning elections and/or ballot issues.
- Minimum Quality Criteria: DVD or tapes must be labeled legibly with the title of the content, duration, and contact information. DVDs, tapes and other media will not be returned. The content must be of a quality that is acceptable for broadcast. That is, it must meet or exceed the following:
- Video
- Must be at least 640×480 resolution. 4:3 or 16:9 will be accepted but 16:9 must be center cut or letterboxed.
- Video should be appropriately sharp, free of jump cuts, shaky video, ghosting and skin tones should be natural.
- Tapes with excessive “drop-outs” or missing frames will not be accepted.
- All titles and captions should be within the title safe area.
- Audio
- The audio must be set to acceptable levels, between -12 Db and -40 Db.
- The audio should be free of noise, hum, cross-talk and compression should be used as little as possible.
- Program audio must be audible with minimum noise levels after amplification and free of distortion.
- Changes in loudness should be controlled so that the viewer has no need to adjust the volume during the program.
- The sound to vision should be in sync, mouths should match the speaker
- Video
- Request for Air Time: The Request for Air Time Form must be filled out and submitted 30 days in advance of the requested air time. This does not guarantee that the content will air at that time – this will be dictated by available airtime; live broadcast of the Colorado Senate and House sessions will always take precedence over additional content. Broadcast is solely at the discretion of the CCA.
- Prohibited content: In order to be approved, the content cannot contain any of the following:
- Classified advertising, commercial messages or commercial solicitations of funds
- Content promoting violence or unlawful conduct
- Obscenity, pornography, nudity, violent, or indecent material
- Content that is discriminatory, slanderous, libelous or defamatory
- Any advertisements on supporting or opposing any political candidate or a position with respect to any ballot measures
- Any third party advertisements for the sale of goods or services
- Programming or other content that violates local, state and federal laws
- Programming or other content that violates FCC rules and regulations
- Lotteries, gambling, or other games mentioning prizes
- Any promotional material concerning products or services presented for the purpose of any solicitation of funds or items of value by other than government or non-profit groups
- Religious programming
Result of submission: Any program, bulletin board message or PSA under consideration may be accepted as presented, may be turned down completely, or may be given conditional approval. In the case of conditional approval, a program, bulletin board message or PSA may be deemed appropriate and worthy, except for stated objectionable or offensive program portions, which will be listed as needing revision or deletion. The producer will then have the option of making all specified changes or withdrawing the program, bulletin board message or PSA from consideration.
3. Sponsorship/Underwriting
- The Colorado Channel will accept sponsorship or underwriting for additional content or services – so long as that sponsorship or underwriting is solicited by the CCA for content or services outside of the core services (live coverage, and rebroadcast, of the General Assembly in session) – i.e. additional content, Marketing/PR, Education.
- Sponsors will be thanked by inclusion on a web page on www.coloradochannel.net or on a slate on Ch. 165.
4. Omissions and Errors: The Colorado Channel shall not be held responsible for the inaccuracy of information or programming due to human or technical error.
- Disclaimers: The Colorado Channel Authority shall, at it’s discretion, append at the start or end of any content, the following disclaimer:
- The views expressed in the following program are not necessarily those of The Colorado Channel 165, The Colorado State Legislature or employees.
5. Forms Needed:
To submit video content, read the above policy to ensure your content complies, then DOWNLOAD and COMPLETE the forms available below and EMAIL to support@coloradochannel.net