Policies

1. Membership
   1. Eligibility
   2. Equitable Allocation of Resources
   3. Application Process
   4. Fees and Reductions
   5. Acceptance of Policies as Condition of Membership
   6. Indemnification
   7. Participation of Minors
   8. Code of Conduct
   9. Accuracy in Self-Identification
2. Access to Channel Time
   1. Eligibility & Scheduling Priorities
   2. Responsibilities
   3. Scheduling Channel Time
      1. Scheduling Single Programs
      2. Scheduling Regular Time-Slots for Series
      3. Renewing Series Time-Slots
      4. Repeats
   4. Content
      1. Commercial Content
      2. Non-Profit Fundraising Content
      3. Donor Acknowledgements
      4. Political Content
      5. Mature Content
         1. Defining "Mature Content"
         2. Scheduling Programs with Mature Content
   5. Technical Quality Standards
   6. Further Distribution
   7. Violations
3. Access to Training and Production Resources
   1. Training and Certification
      1. Various Certifications to Gain Access
      2. Certification Requirements
   2. Access to Production Resources
      1. Shared Programming Rights
      2. Use of Production Resources
         1. Project Proposal
         2. Series Projects
      3. Scheduling, Notifications and Cancellations
   3. Fund-Raising
      1. Prohibition of Commercial Activities
      2. Donor Support Encouraged
      3. Disclosure of BNN Support
      4. Financial Disclosure
      5. BNN's Right to Share in Compensation
      6. BNN Support for Funding Proposals
      7. Acknowledgement of Donors
4. Sanctions
   1. Immediate Suspension for Major Violations
   2. Remedial Process for Lesser Violations
   3. Suspension for Persistent Violations
   4. Appeals

5a. Defining "mature content". These guidelines are provided to help members and staff determine what is appropriately considered mature content. These items are not presented as absolute definitions, but rather as guidelines to assist in making best judgments in scheduling decisions. A program which contains potentially offensive levels of any of the following will be considered unsuitable for children and scheduled in a late night time slot: profanity; nudity; "hate speech" (words or images likely to be considered abusive or discriminatory against any racial, ethnic or religious groups, or on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, or disability); sexual material; violence; any other potentially disturbing content relating to human or animal mutilation, excretory functions, medical procedures, etc. 5b. Scheduling programs with mature content. When requesting channel time, members must notify staff if programs may contain mature content. Staff will review programs submitted with mature content and schedule in an appropriate late-night time slot. If no agreement is reached, staff will review the matter with BNN management who will make the final decision about scheduling.

3. Scheduling, notifications and cancellations. Every scheduled use of BNN production resources must be viewed as an asset that others would use if it were available. It is essential that scheduled bookings be utilized to their fullest potential and not squandered. Respect and courtesy for other scheduled users - or would-be users - must be consistent. No-shows, late arrivals and late cancellations are tracked by staff and highly relevant in consideration of future project proposals. The consequences of violations are described in Section IV. All scheduling of equipment and facilities must be done as far in advance as possible and in accordance with guidelines posted for each production resource. Last-minute scheduling may be possible at the discretion of staff, providing there is no conflict with other duties. Producers are responsible for having ready access to BNN contact information and calling to notify the relevant staff if running late or needing to cancel due to unavoidable circumstances. Written explanations may be required. Bookings will not be held beyond the scheduled start time without such contact. Future reservations may be jeopardized by failure to adhere to this requirement. Whenever possible, cancellations should be done with enough notice for someone else to take advantage of the availability.

C. FUND-RAISING

1. PROHIBITION OF COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES. BNN production resources or other assets may not be used by members for commercial activities or private financial gain. In order to maintain BNN's tax-exempt status, violations of these and related policies and guidelines may lead to loss of member privileges as detailed in Section IV.

2. DONOR SUPPORT ENCOURAGED. It is understood that production of programming can be costly and that many members, both individuals and organizations, have financial constraints that limit production capacity. Therefore, producers are encouraged to seek commercial underwriting and/or grants from foundations, government agencies and/or private businesses to help fund their programs. It is essential that any such arrangements be conducted openly and correctly.

3. DISCLOSURE OF BNN SUPPORT. Members must accurately identify themselves as independent producers to potential funding sources. BNN must be accurately described as a non-commercial, non-profit organization that provides free services, production resources and channel time to members. Under no circumstances may an independent producer charge for anything he or she is receiving at no cost from BNN - whether use of production resources, channel time or any other service provided to members.

4. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE. In each instance that program funding is planned or received for any program using BNN production resources, the producer must fully disclose arrangements before use of BNN facilities will be authorized. In the event funding is re-arranged or subsequently arranged (during production or after completion and cablecast of programming) the member must disclose the new information without delay.

5. BNN'S RIGHT TO SHARE IN COMPENSATION. In the event a member using BNN production resources is compensated by a third party for any production or for any resulting programming, BNN shall have the right to be reimbursed at a reasonable market rate for use of production resources. These provisions will be waived if the amount of funding covers no more than actual documented expenses such as for tapes, sets, transportation, and crew meals. If the funding provides for payments to individuals such as the producer, crew, or talent, an equitable arrangement for sharing of proceeds to support BNN costs will need to be approved by BNN management.

6. BNN SUPPORT FOR FUNDING PROPOSALS. Members are encouraged to share their ideas with staff in order to avoid duplication of efforts, to encourage collaboration with other producers, and to gain the benefit of staff expertise. When funding proposals are closely in line with BNN priorities, BNN management may write letters in support. In other instances, BNN may collaborate on joint proposals or serve as the fiscal agent and administer the funds for proposals that incorporate reimbursement for BNN'S administrative and other costs. All funding proposals or other forms of support that indicate any participatory role or support from BNN must receive written approval from BNN management in advance. BNN reserves the right to be selective about what funding proposals it will support.

7. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF DONORS. All funding support must be acknowledged in resulting programming as described in Section II.D.3.

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IV. SANCTIONS

BNN reserves the right to restrict, temporarily suspend or deny member privileges, including use of production resources, channel time and entry to facilities, to any individual who has violated his or her membership agreement. Each BNN member is expected to know and abide by these Access Policies and related guidelines. In the event of violations, it may become necessary for BNN to take disciplinary actions or otherwise impose sanctions. Because each case may be different, BNN reserves the right to deal with each member or situation individually. A program violating content policies, for example, may lead to its not being repeated or the suspension of its series time-slot, but not necessarily denial of access to production resources. Likewise, a problem negatively impacting other BNN members may result in loss of equipment access, but not necessarily suspension of channel time. How sanctions are imposed depend upon the seriousness of the violation, the member's previous actions, precedence and other relevant factors. The type of sanction and duration of disciplinary action will vary with the nature of the infraction and the history of the member. In extreme cases, member benefits may be permanently terminated. BNN management and staff will exercise judgment giving the highest importance to the best interests of the BNN community as a whole, but also giving due consideration to the individual's rights. Sanctions shall be implemented, where possible, after providing the affected person with reasonable notice of the basis for the action, and a fair process for being heard on the matter.

A. IMMEDIATE SUSPENSION FOR MAJOR VIOLATIONS. As noted above, members have responsibility in the maintenance of a safe and productive workplace. Any behavior which threatens the safety and well-being of staff, members or other visitors may result in immediate suspension of member privileges and the requirement that the suspended member leave BNN premises until further notice. Staff may issue an immediate temporary suspension in such cases and immediately notify BNN management, including all necessary detail; the suspended member may not then return to BNN or regain access privileges without the approval of BNN management. An immediate ninety day suspension may be issued by BNN management in these cases or when it is determined that there has been an apparent policy violation of a serious nature, particularly those relating to Sections I.H. and III.C. During the subsequent ninety days, the affected person will be provided reasonable notice and a fair process for being heard on the matter prior to any consequent decision.

B. REMEDIAL PROCESS FOR LESSER VIOLATIONS. A single instance of violation of most policies and guidelines will not result in immediate suspension. It is understood that problems may arise, at times, which are unavoidable. Usually, a brief conversation between staff and members leads to an improved understanding of policies and of the fact that they are in place to protect the interest of members. But, for the sake of all members, staff is responsible for guarding against the emergence of a pattern of violations and for following up as necessary to achieve conformity with all relevant policies and guidelines. The follow-up steps, from verbal warning to written warning, are documented by staff. Members are welcome, and may be required to add written comments to the record.

C. SUSPENSION FOR PERSISTENT VIOLATIONS. If the remedial process is ineffective and violations continue, staff will recommend suspension or other sanctions and forward all related records to BNN management, who will make the decision.

D. APPEALS. In accordance with BNN Bylaws, the Grievance Committee of the Board of Directors will hear complaints from members relating to claims of unfair treatment, rules violations, and improper management decisions. Complaints must be submitted to the committee in writing only after being thoroughly pursued with BNN management. The Committee has the right to refuse to pursue matters which it believes are trivial, irrelevant or beyond its scope. The decisions of the Grievance Committee are final.

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