For the purpose of this chapter, the following
terms and words shall have the meaning given herein:
GOVERNMENTAL AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
Those purposes associated with official governmental or educational
meetings, act, notices and functions, and shall include the listing
of sports and cultural events.
MUNICIPALITY
The Township of Gloucester, Borough of Runnemede and Borough
of Bellmawr, in the County of Camden, State of New Jersey.
PRODUCER
An entity which creates or presents a program for broadcast.
The producer is solely responsible for the content of the program
and for the compliance with programs standards established herein.
PRODUCTION
The activities of the producer and its staff in connection
with the program.
No program which fails to meet the standards
established by this chapter shall be broadcast on the Municipal Governmental
and Educational Channel.
Only the Mayors of the Township of Gloucester,
the Borough of Runnemede and the Borough of Bellmawr and the Superintendent
of the Black Horse Pike Regional School Board of Education and the
Superintendents of the Gloucester Township, Runnemede and Bellmawr
School Boards of Education shall serve as producer. All activities
relating to the production of a program shall be directly under the
control of the producer.
Nothing herein shall preclude the use of paid
professionals or unpaid volunteers in the production of a program;
provided, however, that such persons or entities are under the direction
and supervision of the producer.
Persons or entities that wish to have a program
considered for airing shall first submit four copies of the program
on VHS format video tape to the producer. The purpose and content
of any program shall be exclusively governmental or educational. The
Municipal Governmental and Educational Access Channel is not to be
used for public forum or as a general public access channel.
The objective of this chapter is to create standards
that will present programs of the highest possible quality. Program
content, community interest, aesthetics, artistic excellence, professionalism
and technical quality are vitally important and will be rigorously
evaluated when determining whether a program is to be approved for
broadcast.
A. No advocacy. No promotion or advocacy of any political
or religious doctrine, philosophy, point of view or position shall
be permitted, whether local, state, national or international in scope,
and whether direct or implied, overt or subtle. This standard of "no
advocacy" is an absolute prohibition and the doctrine of equal time
is not sufficient to overcome it.
B. No commercials. No commercial message of any kind,
whether paid or not paid, shall be permitted at any time. The names
of contributors who have assisted with the cost of production may
be displayed in block letters for an aggregate period for all such
names is not to exceed 15 seconds at the beginning and again at the
end of each program; addresses, telephone numbers, products and services
are not permitted.
C. No obscenity. Prohibited at all times are images,
language and themes which are pornographic, lewd, lascivious, obscene
or vulgar or of a derogatory, demeaning or offensive to people of
any race, creed, color or ethnic background.
D. News. Nothing herein shall preclude balanced news
reporting or balanced coverage of newsworthy events; provided, however,
that such reporting or events shall not be for the principal purpose
of stating, promoting, advancing or advocating a particular political
or religious doctrine, philosophy, point of view or position.
E. Community calendar. Nothing herein shall preclude
the timely announcement of bona fide civic or cultural events reasonably
expected to be of interest to the citizens of the Borough of Runnemede.
This Committee shall consist of seven members,
one member from each municipal council, chosen by each respective
board of education, chosen by the school board; and one member from
each of the three municipal school boards of education, chosen by
each respective school board. The Committee may expand the number
of members.