About Us

Approved by the Harford County Council on 9/21/21.

Preface 

HarfordTV (HTV) is a public-access multi-use channel operated by the County Council (Council) of Harford County, Maryland (County). The Council has established an Advisory Board (Board) to coordinate the affairs of HTV and promote programming of interest to the County’s citizens. (See Public Law 91.47, Section 9-176.3.A.) 

The Board hereby establishes the Programming Committee and its Guidelines. 

Section 1. Guidelines

The following Guidelines shall govern all program submissions. 

A. Funding 

All “ready to broadcast” programming which conforms in all other respects to these Guidelines shall be approved for transmission on HTV, at no additional cost to the programming entity or individual. All other programming shall not be approved for transmission, except as follows: 1. Council Requests. The Council may direct that HTV produce and transmit any programming approved by a majority of the Council, pursuant to the Council’s procedures. Directives from the Council shall be communicated to the Committee’s Chair, by such person or persons as the Council may authorize from time to time. Council Requests shall conclusively meet all other Guidelines set forth hereinafter: 2. All other entities or individuals shall reimburse HTV for the costs associated with producing any Requests (Production Costs), as such Production Costs may be determined by HTV staff. Where Production Costs are established by the Council and the Board through a “rate card,” HTV staff shall apply the rate card to determine Production Costs. Programming which is funded as set forth in this section shall be approved by the Executive Director for broadcast on HTV, provided it conforms in all other respects with these Guidelines.

B. Content 

HTV is a public-access channel whose primary purpose is to educate, inform and promote a sense of community among Harford County’s citizens. The primary content of all programming on HTV shall be consistent with HTV’s primary purpose. 1. Permitted Content. Programming whose primary content is consistent with, or meets, one of the following three (3) criteria shall be approved for transmission on HTV, provided it conforms in all other respects with these Guidelines. a. Programming must be “educational” – offered in conjunction with a state or county public educational institution; or b. Programming must be “informational” – offered in conjunction with a state, county, or local government, or an entity coordinating emergency response or “preparedness”; or c. Programming must be produced by a County citizen, or primarily concern County citizens, events, and/or issues which may be of interest to the County’s citizens. 2. Prohibited Content. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary hereinabove, no program shall be transmitted by HTV which: a. “Advertises” a “for profit” enterprise. Programming which succinctly “credits” a “for profit” sponsor for assistance with production costs, information, materials, advice or expertise shall not be disqualified for “advertising”. b. “Solicits” support for any political cause of candidacy. The following shall not be disqualified for “soliciting”: (i) “Issue-oriented programming” – where one or more candidates or advocates state their position on issues of interest to the County’s citizens without soliciting for their election; (ii) “Debates” – where all competing candidates are given equal time to explain their views and advocate their election; (iii) “open forums” – where elected officials and/or candidates/advocates appear to discuss issues in a public meeting place, without soliciting for their election. c. “Promotes” one religious doctrine as superior to all or any others. Programming which offers a specific or uniquely religious perspective – without denigrating the validity of any other religious beliefs (or non-belief) shall not be disqualified for “promoting”. d. Promotes a lottery, gift, enterprise or similar scheme that offers prizes awarded on the basis of chance (as prohibited under 47 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 76.213). e. Directly or indirectly solicits funds from cable subscribers (unless specifically authorized by the Board). f. Is determined to be “obscene,” as per the standards defined in HTV’s Bylaws. g. Violates any federal, state, or local statues. h. Is judged to be illegal, unlicensed or stolen and legal action may be forthcoming. i. Violates Title 17 of the United States Code, pertaining to copyright infringement. Applicant must show evidence of copyright permission. Any necessary individual releases must be available for review by the Committee, upon the Committee’s request. 

C. Programming Quality Standards for All Pre-Produced / Public Access Programs

All HTV programming should be of appropriate technical and artistic quality as determined by HTV staff. To this end, broadcast quality standards are required for all programming, including, at a minimum: at least 10 seconds of black at the start and end of the program; quality video with proper lighting, clear picture, steady camera work, professional editing and suitable audio levels; and appropriate introduction and end to the program. HTV has the right to refuse to broadcast any program which does not contain sufficient programming quality as described herein as determined by HTV.

D. Production Rules for HTV Produced Programs

1. There must be a coordinator, provided by the organization making the request, throughout the entire production to insure the orderly and efficient completion of the production. There is a two (2) hour maximum time limitation unless pre-approved by HTV staff. 2. HTV is not responsible for providing or operating items such as PA systems, tables, chairs, podiums, etc. unless previously arranged and agreed to by the HTV staff. 3. The HTV staff member in charge of the production will be allowed access to the facilities at which production is to occur at least 72 hours prior to the event to diagram production arrangements. If there are any placement arrangements or problems with the production arrangements, the requesting organization should voice them at this time. HTV staff shall have the sole discretion to determine if the requested production can be technically accomplished. 4. The HTV staff shall be given access to the facility at least 2 hours prior to doors opening to the public to set-up the equipment. 5. HTV staff have exclusive rights to tape the requested production. 6. If any time prior or during the production the requesting organization fails to meet any of these guidelines, the HTV staff member in charge shall have the right, but not the obligation, in the exercise of his or her sole discretion to either continue the production or cancel it. 7. If the program does not conform to the original concept, as agreed to by HTV during the application process, HTV has the right to refuse to broadcast it.

E. Scheduling 

Programming which meets all other Guidelines shall be approved for airing. Scheduling will be at the discretion of HTV staff. 

Section 2. Disclaimer 

Applicant must provide all relevant information regarding the content of any program. HTV and the County Council of Harford County shall not warrant the accuracy of any information cablecast over HTV. The opinions and views expressed in programs broadcast by HTV are not necessarily the opinions and views held by HTV or the County Council. HTV reserves the right to show disclaimers for programs broadcast over HTV. 

Section 3. Appeals

A. Notice

Any interested party may appeal any finding or determination to the Board. A notice of appeal (“notice”) shall be directed in writing by the appellant to the Board’s Chair, together with any and all written documents which the appellant intends to submit to the Board, not less than two (2) weeks prior to the Board meeting at which the appeal is heard. Notices of appeal, together with all supporting documents, shall be forwarded to the Board’s members together with minutes from the previous Board meeting and the next meeting’s agenda. Appeals shall be noted as “new business” on the meeting agenda. 

B. Hearing

At such time as set forth in the Board’s agenda, the appellant shall present such testimony, videotape or other supporting information as the Board’s Chair deems relevant to the Board. At the conclusion of the appellant’s presentation, the Board shall determine whether to uphold or overturn the determination of the Executive Director, by a vote of the majority of the Board. 

Approved by the Harford County Council on 9/21/21.

PREAMBLE

The goal of HTV is to make its personnel and equipment available at a reasonable cost to facilitate its mission of public access to the county’s cable system.

In order to recover costs associated with the production of programming for clients, the following rates are hereby adopted.

PRODUCTION COSTS

Producer or Director:  $40/hr. or any part thereof

Editor:  $40/hr. or any part thereof

Technical Director:  $35/hr. or any part thereof

Audio Engineer:  $35/hr. or any part thereof

Character Generator Operator:  $35/hr. or any part thereof

Camera Operator:  $35/hr. or any part thereof

Production Assistant:  $15/hr. or any part thereof

Announcer/On-Camera Talent:  Negotiated Rate – at cost to client

Writer:  Negotiated Rate – at cost to client

Scenic Craftsman:  Negotiated Rate – at cost to client

Actor/Actress:  Going Rate – at cost to client

If professional talent is required, HTV will recommend approaches to the acquisition and management of talent to fulfill the needs of the client. The client is responsible for all costs and arrangements for such talent, including but not limited to: transportation, wardrobe, make-up, hair styling, meals and entertainment.

DVD DUPLICATION 

DVD – $20.00 per dub (some programs may require more than one DVD) and may be purchased by calling the office at 410-638-3899 or visiting the website at www.harfordtv.org. 

AFTER HOURS, WEEKEND AND HOLIDAY LABOR RATES

Labor rates are subject to increase after 5:30 pm and for any required weekend or holiday production unless otherwise stated by the HTV Producer.

TRAVEL FOR REMOTE PRODUCTIONS

Mileage charges door to door:  IRS Standard Rate

Housing and meals: Actual cost

Travel time is chargeable labor: See labor rates

UNSPECIFIED CHARGES

HTV reserves the right to recover other costs not described herein once they have been identified and discussed with the client.

PAYMENT OF RATES

Once projects are submitted and a commitment is made to complete them, the rates, as indicated above, will apply and the resulting charges will be the responsibility of the client.  Fifty percent (50%) of the cost must be paid in advance with the other fifty percent (50%) due upon completion, before airing.  Special financial considerations can only be made by petition to the HTV Board.

Non-payments will be turned over to the Harford County Treasurer’s Office and subject to any and all collection fees.

CABLECASTING

HTV may request that the client’s program be distributed in and outside the state of Maryland. The client will have the right to approve the distribution of the program. All costs associated with the distribution will be the responsibility of the client.

RIGHT OF REFUSAL

HTV’s Production Guidelines address the screening and technical standards for airing on HTV.

MANAGEMENT OF PROJECTS

All projects are managed by a member of the HTV staff, who will serve as your project coordinator.  It will be the coordinator’s job to schedule facilities and move the project from stage to stage until completed.  This person will also track your costs and ultimately, generate your final bill.

All expendable supplies, including sets, will be the client’s responsibility and expense. It is the responsibility of the client to remove all sets promptly from the TV studio each day immediately following the production. Clients may use props already available to them, if so desired, but are responsible for lost/broken props. HTV may make special arrangements for storage, if deemed appropriate.

COPYRIGHT

As indicated in HTV’s Production Guidelines, the client must secure all copyrights for airing, if applicable. All legal fees, searches, licensing, duplicating, mailing costs and phone charges associated with obtaining copyright permission will be the responsibility of the client. The client MUST show proof of secured copyrights.

The client agrees that it will grant a license under its copyright to HTV to sell copies of all productions that include use of its equipment, personnel and funds (collectively, “Production Costs”) to the public in an effort to recover its Production Costs.  

HTV STUDIO RENTAL

HTV’s studio is available for rent only for productions that will air on the station, at the rate of $300 per day (8 hours maximum, during normal business hours). This includes studio space, house power, lighting grid and one (1) HTV staff member. The additional use of HTV’s studio equipment and control room requires additional staffing, available for the rates listed above. HTV will help determine the staff needed, based on production needs. All costs are the responsibility of the client. 

MOBILE PRODUCTION VAN RENTAL

Rental of HTV’s mobile production van is not permitted, per Harford County Code Section 50-3C. 

Approved by the Harford County Council on 9/21/21.

A. MEMBERSHIP

The HarfordTV (HTV) Board (Board) is an agency of the County Council. The Board consists of at minimum 15 members appointed by the County Council: 7 citizen representatives, 1 appointed by each Council member; a representative of Harford Community College recommended by the President of Harford Community College; a member of the County Council, who is an ex officio, nonvoting member; a citizen representative recommended by the County Executive; a representative of Aberdeen recommended by the City Council; a representative of Bel Air recommended by the Town Commissioners; a representative of Havre de Grace recommended by the City Council; and a representative of each cable franchise serving Harford County. 

B. MEETINGS

The Board shall meet at least 6 times a year, at the times and places it determines. Robert’s Rules of Order, current edition, shall govern parliamentary proceedings except where they conflict with these rules.

C. QUORUM

A majority of voting members of the Board shall constitute a quorum.

D. ABSENCES AND ALTERNATES

1. 1. Unless the absences are explained to the satisfaction of the Board, a member with unexcused absences for 3 or more consecutive Board meetings is deemed to have resigned, and the Board shall notify the County Council of the resignation. Within 60 calendar days after receiving the notice, the Council shall appoint a replacement for the member. If the Council fails to appoint a replacement member within 60 calendar days, the Board may recommend an appointee to fill the existing vacancy to the Council, which recommendation must be approved by the Council.
   2. The members of the Board representing Harford Community College and the cable operators on which HTV is carried may appoint alternates to represent them at Board meetings if the members are unable to attend a meeting. Attendance by an alternate shall constitute an excused absence for the member. The appointed alternate shall serve as a voting member of the Board in the same manner as the member and shall therefore be entitled to vote and speak at a meeting. An alternate may only participate in 3 Board meetings per year.

E. CHAIRMAN AND VICE-CHAIRMAN

By July 1 the Board shall select a Chairman and Vice-Chairman from among its members and the Chairman shall be responsible for:

1. 1. 1. Conducting Board meetings.
      2. Ensuring that all grant applications prepared by the Executive Director are submitted to and approved by the Board.
      3. Ensuring  that the Executive Director provides all budgetary information and reports for approval by the Board that are to be submitted to the County Council.
      4. Providing general guidance to HTV employees in areas related to production and broadcast of HTV programs.
      5. Meeting with the Administrator of the Council to:
         1. Discuss the job performance of the Executive Director of HTV, and
         2. Conduct the annual performance evaluation of the Executive Director. 

If the Chairman is absent or unable to fulfill these responsibilities, the Vice-Chairman shall assume all the responsibilities of the Chairman.

F. SECRETARY

The Secretary of the Board shall be responsible for:

1. Circulating meeting agendas to all members of the Board.
2. Keeping all documents and records received by the Board.
3. Taking and transcribing the minutes of the Board and Sub-Committee meetings.

G. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

1. The HTV Executive Director shall be responsible for the management of HTV in accordance with the policies approved by the Board.
2. By November 1 of each year, the HTV Executive Director shall prepare the annual budget and present it to the Board for approval.
3. The HTV Executive Director shall establish rules and adopt regulations for the use of HTV programming subject to the approval by the Board.

H. PROHIBITED SUBJECT MATTERS

HTV will not broadcast:

1. Any advertisement that promotes a lottery, gift, enterprise or similar scheme that offers prizes awarded on the basis of chance (as prohibited under 47 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 76-213).
2. Any Program or advertisement that directly or indirectly solicits funds from the cable subscribers, unless specifically authorized by the Board.
3. Any material which is deemed obscene under applicable law. The Board or the HTV Executive Director may prescreen or take other appropriate steps to ensure that obscene material is not broadcast.
4. Any material which violates any federal or state statute.
5. Any commercial advertisement that promotes the sale of any product or service.

I. EDITORIAL CONTROL

The HarfordTV Board and the HTV Executive Director shall not exercise editorial control over the opinions expressed in any public, educational, or governmental program broadcast by HTV, except for programs that:

1. Are judged by the Board or the Executive Director as containing obscene or otherwise inappropriate subject matter or content as described in Section H above or in the HTV Production Guidelines.
2. Do not meet the technical quality or standards established and published by the Board in the Production Guidelines or Board publication.

J. REQUEST FOR BROADCAST TIME

Any Harford County citizen may furnish a program to the Executive Director and request that the program be broadcast provided that:

1. The request for broadcast is made by application. 
2. A citizen under the age of 18 making a request must have parental or guardian consent in writing.
3. The citizen obtains written releases from everyone featured on the program.
4. The request complies with the written standards for broadcast established by the Board.

K. SCHEDULE OF FEES

All fee schedules shall be approved by the Board and submitted to the County Council for approval. Copies of these schedules shall be made available to the public.

L. DONATIONS

All funds received by the Board shall be turned over to the County Treasurer to be accounted for and expended in accordance with county budgetary procedures. All other gifts shall be made to Harford County, designating the Board as recipient.

M. BUDGET

The Executive Director shall annually prepare an operating budget to be approved by the Board for submittal to the County Council by November 1. 

N. OPERATION REPORT

The Executive Director shall submit a report of its activities at the budget work session annually as approved by the Board to the County Council.

O. LEGAL ISSUES

The Board shall consult with the County Council Attorney or another attorney designated by the Council Attorney for any legal advice the Board requires.  The Board shall take special care to assure that it seeks legal advice regarding its continued compliance with all Federal, State and local laws.

P. BROADCASTS BY POLITICAL CANDIDATES

Political candidates for any elective public office or their representatives shall not have access to HTV unless they appear in a forum which all candidates have been given an opportunity to appear. This section does not apply to candidates who appear on HTV programming as part of a public meeting or to elected officials performing their public duties.

Q. DISCLAIMER

The Board and the County Council of Harford County shall not warrant the accuracy of any information cablecast over HTV. The opinions and views expressed in programs broadcast by HTV are not necessarily the opinions and views held by the Board or County Council. The Board reserves the right to show disclaimers for programs broadcast over HTV.

R. AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

The Board’s bylaws may be amended provided that the amendments are approved by at least two-thirds of the Board members and a majority of the County Council.

S. COUNTY LAW

As a Council Agency created under the laws of this County, the Board is subject to the provisions of the County Code. If there is a conflict between these bylaws and the County Code, the County Code shall supersede these bylaws.

HarfordTV’s Advisory Board meeting minutes are available for all meeting dates. If you need a date not shown below, please contact our office at 410-638-3899.