HR105

WHEREAS, the Hawaii State Legislature, through the passage of Act 331, Session Laws of Hawaii 1989, embarked upon a program to increase public access to and participation in the legislative process through the utilization of new information technologies; and

WHEREAS, increased cable coverage leads to greater public awareness of issues vital to the State and greater participation in the democratic process; and

WHEREAS, the legislative broadcast program exists to serve the public's interest through broadcasting proceedings relating to topics that are relevant and newsworthy; and

WHEREAS, through a grant from 'Olelo Community Television, the Legislature started to provide cable television coverage of selected House proceedings in the 1994 legislative session; and

WHEREAS, 'Olelo Community Television continues to provide the Legislature with invaluable technical and engineering support, programming time for cablecasts, broadcast production television equipment and preventive maintenance, repair, and replacement as needed; and

WHEREAS, Act 259, Session Laws of Hawaii 1994, and Act 5, Session Laws of Hawaii, Special Session of 1995, declared the Legislature's commitment to provide greater public access to legislative proceedings via cable television, and provided appropriations to fund the Legislative Access Cable Television Project for the Eighteenth Legislature which has been renewed every session since then; and

WHEREAS, Act 373, Session Laws of Hawaii 1997, codified as chapter 21G, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to public access, established the legislative broadcast program; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature needs to establish policies governing House participation in the legislative broadcast program; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, that the following policies govern the activities of the legislative broadcast program as it pertains to the House of Representatives:

(1) Project Responsibility: The content, selection, and editorial policies shall be administered by the Speaker of the House of Representatives or the Speaker's designee. 'Olelo Community Television shall provide technical and engineering support, programming time for cablecasts, broadcast production television equipment, and preventive maintenance, repair, and replacement as needed;

(2) Distribution: Cablecast programming coverage and distribution shall be provided by 'Olelo Community Television on O'ahu; by Akaku: Maui Community Television on Maui, Moloka'i, and Lana'i; by Ho'ike: Kaua'i Community Television on Kaua'i; and by Na Leo 'O Hawai'i: Hawai'i Community Television on Hawai'i. All bona fide news organizations and educational institutions shall be authorized to utilize the programming material and shall bear costs associated with such programming. Political or commercial uses of the material are prohibited;

(3) Programming Content: Programming shall include live and tape-delayed cablecasts. All public committee hearings, legislative sessions, and other legislative proceedings shall be authorized for programming and selected by the Public Access Room Coordinator, based upon the criteria of public interest and newsworthiness, as measured by column-inches in statewide newspapers and minutes of television news coverage. The Speaker of the House of Representatives or the Speaker's designee may authorize special programming in consultation with the House Majority Leader and House Minority Leader. Programming material shall not be used for political or commercial purposes;

(4) Editing: Cablecasts of legislative proceedings shall be covered gavel-to-gavel, and shall include coverage of the Speaker recognized by the Chair or presiding officer. Occasional shots of the entire committee or assembled body shall be allowed; however, close-up "reaction" shots shall not be permitted; and

(5) Ownership and Use of Programming: Tapes and cablecasts shall be considered the property of the House of Representatives and the Senate as appropriate. Tapes and cablecasts shall not be considered an official record of the meeting, and there shall be no liability for inadvertent erasure or omission. Tapes of proceedings shall be retained for a period of time necessary for rebroadcasts on neighbor island cable systems, and for use in program evaluation and staff training. Duplication or further distribution of tapes or cablecasts shall not be permitted; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the House Majority Leader, the House Minority Leader, the Legislative Broadcast Program Coordinator, 'Olelo Community Television, Akaku: Maui Community Television, Ho'ike: Kaua'i Community Television, Na Leo 'O Hawai'i: Hawai'i Community Television, and Oceanic Time Warner Cable.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Legislative Broadcast Project; House Policy

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	105
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII