PURPOSE OF ESTABLISHMENT
WCET -TV provides production equipment (studio and remote) and support staff to assist in the creation of locally-produced television programs of educational, religious, governmental, and public interest.
ELIGIBILITY
WCET -TV is available to any Grandville and Hudsonville resident or employee of an organization within these communities who has completed the necessary training and/or been certified by the WCET-TV Coordinator.
TRAINING
WCET -TV will provide hands-on experience in the television production of community access programs. No prior television experience is required for beginning classes. However, users must be certified (or have successfully completed all beginning classes) before registering for advanced workshops and seminars. Periodically these special sessions will be offered to target a specific area of interest or need. Each training session will aim to create a final project suitable for broadcast over community access.
In addition, organizations and other community groups may request a standard series of training sessions to fit specific time frames and program needs. We encourage these entities to build their own core of community television volunteers to aid in productions.
Please make class inquiries to the WCET -TV office at (616) 669-3332.
STUDIO AND EQUIPMENT SCHEDULING
Users: Volunteers may schedule the studio and portable studio/equipment for the production of community programs after successfully completing the appropriate training.
Program Proposal: Volunteers must complete a program proposal indicating the nature of their project, prior to scheduling studio time and/or equipment.
Reserving a Studio: After receiving the WCET -TV Coordinator’s approval, users may sign up for time with a WCET -TV staff member to ensure supervision and availability. Time request forms must be filled out one week prior to the desired date. We suggest you also request airtime for your program when reserving the studio and/or equipment.
Assistance: Except in special circumstances, community members and organizations must provide their own production crews, certified through WCET -TV training. WCET -TV will assist community members in assembling production crews from among trained and qualified volunteers if such volunteers are available.
Portable Equipment: Portable equipment may be borrowed for periods of 24 hours during the week and 72 hours over a weekend. Special requests should be directed to the WCET -TV Coordinator. Arrangements to pick up equipment must be made with a WCET-TV staff member.
User responsibility: Each piece of portable equipment must be signed out on the appropriate WCET -TV form. Users are fully responsible for damage or loss occurring while the equipment is in their care. Equipment must be returned in good condition at the designated time.
Cancellation: An access user must notify a WCET -TV staff member 24 hours in advance of a cancellation. Failure to do so will prohibit the user or organization from using the facility and/or equipment for 30 days. Time previously reserved for that person would be made available to other access users.
Practice Time: Access users and students in workshops are encouraged to make use of available time for practice sessions. Priority, however, will be given to persons producing access programming.
Minors: Those persons under 18 years of age, who wish to use the studio or sign out equipment, must return the WCET -TV release form signed by a parent or guardian. This release form states that the adult accepts responsibility for the equipment and the action of the minor.
OWNERSHIP OF VIDEOTAPE STOCK
WCET -TV will provide the necessary amount of tape for eligible users to complete a project at no cost to the user. WCET -TV retains all ownership of videotape stock.
Videotapes are re-usable. Tapes will be retained at the studio for sixty days after airtime. At the end of the sixty days, the videotapes will be erased for future program use, unless the access user and WCET -TV staff agree to retain the videotape for future playback use.
VIDEOTAPE DUBS
If you help with a video production, you are entitled to one free DVD copy of that production, If you produce your own video production you are entitled to one free DVD copy of that production, But the video is not to be used for profit.
(All WCET -TV master tapes will not leave the studio.)
ENDING CREDIT LINE
All programs created in whole or part at WCET-TV must contain the following credit line: “Produced through the facilities of WCET -TV Public Access Television” or other credit as determined by the Access Coordinator.
PLAYBACK OF RECORDED MATERIALS
Application: Any community member or organization within the Hudsonville community may request airtime on Channel 189, the designated Hudsonville community access channel. Any community member or organization within the Grandville community may request airtime on Channel 25; the designated community access channel. Applicants must complete an airtime request form and submit it to the WCET -TV Coordinator at least two weeks prior to the desired time.
Process: Requests for airtime will be processed on a fair, equitable, and non-discriminatory basis, depending on the availability of equipment and airtime. WCET-TV, however, reserves the right to schedule programs which best promote a programming balance and viewer interest. It is suggested that the access user request alternative dates and time on the initial request.
Precedence: Any program that is locally produced has precedence over others. Programming that is regionally produced and of local interest is next, followed by nationally produced programming of local interest. Any nationally produced program must be presented by a local group or individual identified with the national organization.
Number of playbacks: If airtime is available, a recorded program may be repeated twice during any weekly period, for a total of three telecasts. Attempts will be made to schedule repeats at the time requested by the user, but local productions will take priority.
Series: Regularly scheduled [series] time slots will be allocated for a maximum of 10 weeks. If the series remains at a satisfactory level of quality and provides consistent original programming, the access user may re-apply for airtime each ten weeks and the series will be given priority. A producer should have two completed programs at WCET -TV at all time. A producer anticipating difficulty in being able to deliver their program in a timely manner, should notify the Access Coordinator at least three days prior to the scheduled delivery date of that program. If a producer fails to notify or deliver their program, the Access Coordinator will give a written warning by letter. A second infraction will result in written notification of the cancellation of that producer’s series. That Time spot will be given to another producer.
Review of content and quality: Videotapes of programs and scripts for live presentations must be submitted to the Access Coordinator one week before scheduled air time so as to permit time for review of content and quality. The only exceptions to this rule are live, unrehearsed, non-scripted performances, which have received the Access Coordinator’s approval.
PROGRAMMING STANDARDS
Indemnification: Prior to scheduling a program, the applicant must sign the Indemnification and Compliance statement included in the Airtime Request form.
Copyright: Access users must obtain all appropriate clearances from copyright holders [including music] prior to scheduling airtime.
Non-Commercial Use: Transmission on WCET -TV must be for non-commercial use only.
Right to preview: The WCET -TV Access Coordinator or his/her designee will preview all programs and programming material submitted for air time to determine compliance with the standards set forth in this document and in the Air Time Request form. Those programs that do not comply will be referred back to the access user. Any person who should knowingly make any open or indecent exposure of his or her person or of the person of another shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in the county jail or a fine as determined by the Cities of Grandville and Hudsonville. If agreement between the Access Coordinator and the access user cannot be achieved, the issue can be referred [at the access user’s request] to the Community Education Directors of Grandville and Hudsonville. If agreement is still not reached, the issue can be appealed to the Cable Television Supervisory Board for a final decision.
Programming Options: In the event any program or programming material is in violation of the section above, WCET -TV may exercise any of the following options.
- Discuss with the producer the ramification of cable casting the material
- Schedule the program at a time appropriate for it’s content
- Run a message warning viewers of the presence of discretionary material
- Revision of the programming material by the producer
- Reject the program
SUBMITTING A VIDEOTAPE
Timetable: Request for scheduling recorded access materials must be submitted to WCET -TV at least two weeks prior to the scheduled time.
Labeling of Videotapes: All videotapes delivered for programming must be:
- Labeled on the box and videotape
- List program name as stated on Air Time Request form, the producer’s name, and the length of the program {Programs running longer than three minutes over the allotted time will be clipped of }.
- Only one program should be recorded on each tape
- Each program should have a ten-second countdown at the beginning
Other information: the following should also be included
- Day, date and time the tape is scheduled to air
- Complete statement on topics covered
- Guardian/parental release for minors submitting material
- Signed indemnification statement if not previously completed
- Completed Air Time Request form
Liability: WCET -TV will not schedule or air programs without a signed indemnification and compliance statement from the user submitting the material.
Loss and destruction of program material: WCET -TV will not be responsible for the loss, destruction, theft or damage of materials submitted for scheduled airtime.
Delivery and return of program materials: All applicants shall make their own arrangements for delivery to and pick-up of program materials from WCET -TV, which is not the property of WCET -TV. Any program materials not picked up within 60 days after it’s scheduled airtime, will be considered WCET -TV stock and consequently erased and recycled.
LEASED ACCESS/ COMMERCIAL PROGRAMMING
Leased access and commercial programming is not permitted on the Community Access channel. Arrangements for commercial local programming must be made directly with the cable companies utilizing the local channel designated for that purpose.
PROGRAM RIGHTS
WCET -TV reserves the right to cablecast any program produced using its equipment and facilities any number of times on any of it’s affiliated cable television systems.
PERSONAL PROFIT OR GAIN
Should an access user attempt to use the facilities and/or equipment for personal profit or gain, or for any purpose other than the creation of community access programs and training, the user will be denied any further access to the facilities and/or equipment.
FOOD, BEVERAGE, AND SMOKING
Food and beverages are not permitted when using any of the equipment and must be contained to designated areas. Smoking is not permitted anywhere in the studio area.
ACCESS TO WCET-TV
Studio facilities are located at 5037 32nd Ave. Hudsonville, MI 49426
WCET -TV phone number is 1-616-669-3332.
Phones are not to be used unless given permission by WCET -TV staff
The WCET -TV Staff is not to be bothered at their homes except for an emergency.
RESPONSIBILITY
The cable Television Supervisory Board of the cities of Grandville and Hudsonville has the responsibility to “promote local programming for and by various religious, educational, governmental, ethnic, professional, cultural, and other special interest groups.” In keeping with the charge, all disputes and interpretations with regard to these regulations and procedures shall be referred to the Cable Supervisory board.
West Community Education Television 