GOTV Guidelines

CITY OF OTTUMWA
GOVERNMENT ACCESS CHANNEL 6 GUIDELINES
Adopted 11/95

The Ottumwa Channel 6 provides a wide variety of live and recorded television programs including local government and community meetings and events, informational and documentary programs, public service announcement and educational programming.

The City of Ottumwa Channel 6 team reserves the right to review, set and enforce the policies governing the use of the Government Access Channel 6.

The following guidelines have been adopted for use of the Government Access Channel.

1. Programming of City updates and activities through daily bulletins and notices.

2. Programming initiated by the City Administration.

3. Programming of the City Council meetings.

4. Programming from various City Departments.

5. Programming produced by the City or other sources which pertain to relevant local government concerns.

6. Other government-related programming or pertinent non-local programs from regional, State of Federal levels.

7. Programming shall not contain any material which is obscene. Federal law states that material is obscene if:
     · The average person, applying contemporary standards, would find that the work, taken as a whole appeals to the prurient interests;
     · The work depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by the applicable state law, and;
     · The work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.

8. Programming may not promote the sale of products or services, including prices, or promote any trade or business except for public owned facilities.

9. Programming shall not discuss or show products or services made available by persons, corporations or institutions which have a commercial interest in the subject of the programs.

10. Programming of an emergency nature involving public health or safety matters.

11. Programming shall not undertake the sponsorship or endorsement of any political party, candidate or ballot issue.

12. Programming can provide notice of ballot issues, listing of candidates, dates, time and location of polls.

13. Direct public access to the Government Access Channel for political programming, individual candidates, political party representatives or supporters of any candidate or issue will not be provided.

14. Programming of public forums regarding elections will be allowed when sponsored by a non-partisan group and all candidates or representatives of all sides of a ballot issue are given equal opportunity to express their positions.

15. Management and programming of the Government Access Channel will be under the authority of the Public Information Coordinator. Decisions of the Public Information Coordinator may be appealed to the City Administrator.

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