Association of Cable Access Producers Bill Of Rights

1. Non-discrimination
Individual Public Access Producers, community producers and the general public, shall hereinafter be recognized as program providers, entitled to equal access to all public access facilities and services provided by public access operators on an equal and non-discriminatory basis, including but not limited to race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual preference, disability, or political affiliation. 

2. Public Access Facilities and Services 
Public Access facilities and services shall be deemed to include, but not be limited to cable, satellite, digital and all other telecommunications facilities and equipment, production studios, editing facilities, field equipment, mobile equipment and training in use of equipment and facilities provided for public access. 

3. Right to Organize 
The right of Individual Public Access Producers to organize on a local, national or international basis shall not be interfered with, directly or indirectly, by public access administrators, staff, political or governmental agencies. 

4. Reasonable Access
a. Access for all Individual Public Access Producers and the general public, to scheduling, assignment of broadcast time slots, equipment, studio production facilities, grants and training classes, shall be available to all certified producers during normal business hours on an equal and non-discriminatory basis 

b. Access to information regarding scheduling equipment, facilities, studio production dates and classes shall be available to all certified producers seven days a week, on a twenty four hour basis.

c. Appropriate staff shall be available to Individual Producers and the general public to support all facilities, services and equipment on a twenty-four hour basis.

5. Access to Public Documentation
Administrators of public access facilities shall make all documents, as required by law, available to individual producers and the general public, including but not limited to by-laws, franchise agreements, financial statements, budgets and operating plans, during normal business hours. 

6. Access to Personal Documentation/Files
Public Access operators shall make available upon request of any producer, any files or documentation relating to or regarding that producer. 

7. Equipment Maintenance 
Public access production facilities and equipment shall be kept in proper working order and maintained, repaired or replaced in a timely fashion.

8. Grants
a. Individual producers and community groups shall be entitled to a balanced and equal award of grant moneys.
b. Experienced public access certified producers shall be informed of any upcoming grant aid productions and shall be afforded an equal opportunity to participate as crew members in said grant productions with compensation. 

9. General Public Input
Individual public access producers shall have the right to vote in decision making processes of public access centers, including human and financial acquisition and dispersal, grant distributions, rules and regulations and educational programs that govern use of public access facilities and any and all ancillary policies that directly affect the producer public.

10. Disciplinary Actions
a. No certified individual public access producer, community group, or member of the general public shall be denied access to production facilities without due process.

b. Any disciplinary action deemed necessary against an individual or community group shall be documented in writing setting forth in complete detail the basis upon which said disciplinary action has been taken.

c. Public access producers shall have access to an independent arbitration board at each access center, consisting of one (1) certified arbitrator, one (1) individual producer representative selected by a general vote of individual public access producers, and one (1) public access representative.

d. Public Access Producers subjected to any disciplinary action shall have the right to an announced prompt public hearing. At said hearing the accused may present witnesses, documents and representation.

e. Individual public access producers shall have the further right to take any decision made at such public hearing to an outside arbitration board as defined in item 10 c. above.

11. Dissemination of Written Regulations, Revisions and Notices
Written regulations, revisions to said regulations and producer notices shall be promptly posted and disseminated to all public access producers and the general public.