BROOKLINE ACCESS TELEVISION
POLICIES & PROCEDURES
Welcome!
Welcome to Brookline Access Television! We look forward to working with you on your
future projects and ask that you read our handbook and become familiar with our Policies &
Procedures. It is your responsibility to read these carefully before using any Brookline Access
Television (BATV) equipment, facilities, or scheduling any staff time, production time or airtime.
Please speak with a staff person if you have questions. These policies are subject to change
without notice.
Mission Statement
Our mission at BATV is to serve the Brookline community as an integrated media and
technology education facility. As a public access television station, we are a valuable first
amendment resource to all members of the community. Our programming showcases what
matters to Brookline. We are proud to provide an outlet for the creativity and enthusiasm of
any Brookline resident, organization, or institution interested in learning the process of creating
community media.
BATV Services
BATV allows any Brookline resident to communicate with other residents over the cable
system, a medium otherwise not available due to the expense of broadcast airtime. While we
work closely together, and in the same town, BATV is not a subsidiary or an affiliate of Comcast
or RCN. Business related to cable TV installation, service changes or reception problems should
be directed to your cable provider. Because services provided by Brookline Access Television
and your cable provider do not overlap, it is very important for specific questions to be directed
appropriately. Telephone calls, inquiries, and mail for Brookline Access Television should be
directed to:
Brookline Access Television
46 Tappan Street
Top Floor
Brookline, MA 02445
617-731-8566 / www.batv.org
BATV administers airtime on the public access channels and provides Brookline residents access
to its facilities. In addition, BATV offers guidance on program development and technical training
on field and studio equipment.
Our facilities provide a regular forum for community members to educate and inform the
community about issues and events of local, national, and global importance. BATV also accepts
program proposals to cover on-location events of importance to the Brookline community.
BATV facilities are available to certified members on a first-come, first-serve basis. BATV
reserves the right to preempt user reservations and programming in the event of timely town
informational programming, such as Selectmen’s Meetings, Candidates Night, or Town Meeting.
Community Event Coverage
If you would like to have your community event filmed, Brookline residents and community
groups must submit a Program Proposal a minimum of three weeks prior to the event. Upon
approval of the Program Proposal, BATV will add the event to the volunteer calendar. Coverage
of these events is based on volunteer availability and commitment, thus submitting a program
proposal far in advance is highly recommended. The resident or group proposing the program is
encouraged to aid in volunteer recruitment as there is no guarantee an event will be covered
without a volunteer crew.
Membership: Benefits & Restrictions
Any Brookline resident or Brookline-based organization, and all non-Brookline residents are
eligible to become a member and show an approved program on the access channel under the
condition a BATV Membership Form is signed and placed on file with BATV, and the
appropriate fees are paid. If the applicant is a minor, a parent or legal guardian must sign the
aforementioned document. All new access members must attend the BATV Orientation class
prior to their first use of the facilities. Any member who wishes to borrow equipment and use
the facilities to produce access programming can do so after fulfilling the necessary requirements
for certification. (Members and non-members may rent BATV equipment and facilities for
private use. Rates are available upon request.)
Types of membership
Brookline Residents: FREE
Affiliate Membership (for non-Brookline residents): $50 annual fee
Members are not employees of BATV. They shall not misrepresent
themselves as employees of BATV, or speak on behalf of BATV. Neither the
BATV phone number, nor the BATV address may be listed as a contact
number for members or their shows.
Membership
Your privileges as a BATV member correspond to the workshops and classes you have taken
and to your volunteer hours on member and community produced programs. Members will be
permitted to reserve and use edit suites, take-out field equipment and/or studios on which he
or she has been certified. Based on your goals as a member, the BATV staff suggests the
following membership tracks in order to access the equipment and facilities:
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Equipment & Facility Reservations & Procedures
Certified members may reserve BATV equipment and facilities for activities specifically related
to productions that will be shown on BATV. It is understood that by working here, your piece is
a community program intended for cablecast on BATV. BATV equipment, facilities
and/or staff time are not intended for personal projects. Please speak with a staff
member regarding private reservations for personal projects not designed or intended for
cablecast.
Equipment and facility reservations are on a first-come, first-serve basis and subject to
availability. Members may login to accesstoaccess to make reservations, but only staff may
approve reservations; reservations not approved by a staff person will not be honored.
Equipment
The member who reserves equipment must be the one who picks up and returns the
equipment. Equipment must be returned on time. Field equipment reservations may not extend
beyond 48 hours. Members are entitled to a 20-minute grace period, after which a late fee will
be charged. To avoid this fee, please notify BATV immediately if a delay is expected.
Members are required to sign an inventory list before taking out equipment and upon return of
equipment. We strongly suggest members set-up the equipment when they take it out to ensure
it is in proper working order. We will require the member to set up all equipment
upon return. Members are responsible for any equipment failures, and/or missing or damaged
items.
Facilities
Studio reservations are not to exceed four hours per day per producer, which includes set-
up and break-down time. Additionally, studio reservations must be scheduled to end 30 minutes
before the facility’s closing. Edit suite reservations cannot exceed four hours per day,
however when this time is up, members may remain in that edit suite based on availability.
Programs recorded in the BATV studio but edited at outside facilities must be completed and
available for broadcast before the producer may reserve any further studio dates.
Non-profit organizations can reserve rooms for educational purposes at the discretion of BATV
on a first-come, first-serve basis. Additionally, members may reserve the theater on the
condition that the program is educational, free and open to the public. All reservations are made
at the discretion of the Executive Director.
A series of facilities reservations must be for a fixed term and may not be open-ended. There is
a 20-minute grace period for all late arrivals for room reservations, after which your reservation
will be forfeited. To avoid cancellation, please notify BATV immediately if a delay is expected. It
is the responsibility of the party reserving the space to leave it in the
condition it was found.
BATV is not responsible for loss of work due to misuse of the facilities.
Putting a Program on the Channel: Responsibilities & Restrictions
In order to produce your own program you must have completed all of the following:
1) Be a BATV member and have all paperwork on file
2) Be certified on all the equipment and facilities that you wish to use
3) Submitted a Program Proposal and all appropriate forms
4) Followed the Equipment & Facilities Reservations & Procedures guidelines
At BATV members produce their own programs. Thus, producers are responsible for creating
their show opening, end credits, graphics, roll-ins, and set design. They are also encouraged to
recruit their own two-person crew and can use the BATV volunteer newsletter. BATV will keep
a copy of all programs and may cablecast them an unlimited number of times. BATV may also
use the program for promotional purposes related to BATV. Unless specified otherwise, the
copyright holder makes his/her program available for duplication and distribution by BATV.
Under no circumstances can any programming produced at BATV be used
for commercial or for-profit purposes.
All programs produced using BATV facilities, resources or equipment must include a complete
list of the crew that is legible and on air long enough to be read
Anyone requesting air time for a program must sign an agreement taking full responsibility for
the program’s content and obtain clearances and permissions from all organizations, individuals
and groups involved in their program.
BATV producers may freely distribute or “bicycle” their programs to non-commercial or access
television organizations. All BATV programs must first be aired on BATV before they can be
distributed elsewhere. Producers are responsible for all costs incurred in distributing their
program(s), (e.g. DVDs, dubbing, postage).
Members may sponsor outside programming for programs not produced at BATV if that
programming is from an access station or similar non-commercial institution. Sponsors must
provide contact information and agree to make him or herself available to anyone making
inquiries or comments related to the program(s) they sponsor. Producers of foreign language
programs are asked to consider providing an English explanation of the program content at the
beginning and end of their program.
Anyone using the channel is alone liable for any false, misleading or slanderous statements in his
or her program. The member alone is responsible for the program content and compliance with
all applicable local, state, and federal laws, including, when relevant, election laws. BATV has the
right to place a disclaimer before and after any program that BATV feels may require one.
The following material may not be shown on the access channel:
•any advertising intended to promote the use of goods or services
•any information or promotion of a lottery
•any material which constitutes libel, slander, pornography, obscenity, or invasion of
privacy or publicity rights, according to local, state, and federal laws
•programs which fall below minimum technical standards for cablecast
•use of trademark or copyright which may violate local, state or federal law
•programs that do not have the required permissions on file
•any illegal acts
Although commercial advertising is prohibited, programs may include acknowledgment of
underwriting by individuals, businesses, organizations or grantors providing monetary or other
assistance. A member should never apply for any kind of support, sponsorship, or underwriting
without first notifying the Executive Director and submitting a complete outline and proposal.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations by the producer should be made no less than 48 hours in advance. If a member
consistently cancels shows, he or she will receive a warning. Two warnings will result in a one-
month studio suspension. Additional cancellations will be dealt with at the discretion of the
Executive Director.
Program Schedules
Program time slots are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. BATV will attempt to
accommodate members’ timeslot requests for series produced at BATV. If there are no
requests for time slots, BATV will fill them at its discretion. A series must make continuous use
of their time slot or it will be forfeited. BATV can pre-empt or reschedule regular time slots at
any time for any reason.
Political Campaigning
Political candidates are subject to the same operating procedures as other members of the
access channel: everyone in the community has equal access to the facilities and airtime, but
there is no equal time rule. BATV will set aside enough time during the period before an election
to cablecast a reasonable number of election-related programs. It is the responsibility of the
candidates or those working on their behalf – not the responsibility of BATV – to become a
member and produce programs. No campaign programming will be cablecast in the 48 hours
preceding the opening of the polls. Any program promoting particular candidates or ballot
questions must identify who produced, sponsored and/or paid for the production.
Violations
Violation of the BATV Rules & Procedures will result in warnings, suspensions or permanent
membership termination. Suspensions and terminations are at the discretion of the Executive
Director.
Minor Violations
Minor violations may result in immediate forfeiture of a facility or equipment reservation or in a
warning. Multiple warnings may result in suspension. Minor violations may include, but are not
limited to:
•entering a staff-only area without permission
•failure to cancel a reservation within 48 hours
•failure to arrive on time for scheduled productions
•failure to submit the necessary production information in advance of a studio shoot
•late equipment return without notification and approval
•failure to return equipment in the proper condition (e.g. improperly coiled cables,
improperly packed equipment, etc.)
•mishandling equipment, including leaving it in unusually hot or cold environments
•leaving equipment or facilities unattended without staff permission
•failure to clean up after using the facilities or to return them to the condition in which
they were found
•changing the wiring, connections or attaching accessories without staff permission
•misrepresentation of members’ affiliation with BATV
•eating or drinking in no-food areas
Major Violations
Major violations will result in an immediate 90-day minimum suspension. Major violations may
include, but are not limited to:
•commercial or profit-making use of BATV facilities without written consent
•use of equipment/facilities without staff permission
•blatant abuse of equipment, including attempted repair
•taking BATV equipment out of Massachusetts
•falsifying forms
•committing unlawful or violent acts within the facility, including theft
•abuse or harassment of staff, other members, or any building personnel
•smoking in the building
•possession and/or consumption of alcohol or illegal drugs
Appeals
Anyone wishing to appeal disciplinary action may make that request with the Executive
Director.
Indemnification
Users of the access channels shall indemnify Brookline Cable Community Trust, Inc. and its
employees against any and all liabilities arising out of breach of these Rules & Procedures.
Each BATV member understands that he or she is responsible and agrees to hold harmless
Brookline Access Television, its directors and employees (and their successors) from any
liability, loss, claim, cost or damage of any nature whatsoever which may arise by reason of any
claim that any material cablecast or disseminated by that member infringes on or violates any
rights of any person or organization.