THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	3
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

ESTABLISHING POLICIES FOR THE LEGISLATIVE BROADCAST PROGRAM'S CABLECASTS OF SENATE PROCEEDINGS.

     WHEREAS, the legislative broadcast program began cable casting Senate proceedings on a pilot basis in 1994, and 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 legislative broadcast program produces live and tape-delayed video broadcasts of selected legislative proceedings for cable casting on PEG (public-education-government) access channels and video casting on the Internet; and

     WHEREAS, the legislative broadcast program is intended to increase public access to and participation in the legislative process; 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, a private broadcast production company is currently contracted by the Legislature to produce broadcasts of legislative proceedings; and

     WHEREAS, the purpose of this measure is to establish policies governing the Senate's participation in the legislative broadcast program; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, that the following policies shall govern the activities of the legislative broadcast program as it pertains to the Senate:

     (1)  Project Responsibility:  The content, selection, and editorial policies shall be administered by the President of the Senate or President'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, Inc. 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 President of the Senate or President's designee may authorize special programming in consultation with the Senate Majority Leader and Senate 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 Senate.  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 at least for a period of time necessary for rebroadcasts on neighbor island cable systems, and for use in program evaluation and staff training; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the President of the Senate, Senate Majority Leader, Senate Minority Leader, Public Access Room Coordinator, Speaker of the House of Representatives, ‘Olelo Community Television, Akaku:  Maui Community Television, Ho‘ike:  Kaua‘i Community Television, Na Leo ‘O Hawai‘i, Inc., and Oceanic Time Warner Cable of Hawaii.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Legislative Broadcast Program; Senate Procedures