Recently, MTN has had to suspend some of our most productive producers for policy violations.  It is essential that all our members understand MTN’s policies in regard to what you may and may not do on our commercial free channels.  Before I delve into the details, I want you to understand our motivation for enforcing our policies.   MTN has a contract with the City of Minneapolis and Time Warner Cable to provide community television for residents subscribing to Time Warner Cable.  It is vital that we honor all the terms of our contract. Currently, we are preparing for the first renewal of this contract in twenty years. This is a critical time to review our mission and to honor it.   Selling any product or service, or soliciting donations on our channels, is a violation of our contract.  We are here to inform, educate and entertain. Here are some easy principles to remember: Do not ask for money.  Even for the best of causes. Even if the recipient is a nonprofit or religious organization. Any direct solicitation is absolutely forbidden. Do not sell any kind of a product.  Do not tell viewers how much a product costs. Do not give out commercial phone numbers or addresses during your program. Commercial and non-commercial Web sites may be given, but only at the beginning and end of your show. Here are some scenarios along with potential solutions to stay on the safe side of MTN’s policies: Let’s say that you have a band on your show.  They want to tell people about their upcoming concerts.  You may tell your viewers that you will put up a Web site or a non-commercial phone number at the end of the show where they can get more information about upcoming performances. You may even say where and when an upcoming performance will be, but no exact commercial addresses. You may mention a neighborhood or area of the city. You may not give ticket prices or information that is specifically about purchasing a ticket. You may talk about a recent CD that the band has released, but you may not give the price of the CD. Let’s say you have a person who works with the crises nursery on your show.  They may talk about their program and how it helps children and parents in financial need.  You may tell viewers how they can get involved with this program by calling this non-commercial number or visiting this Web site.  You may tell viewers about an upcoming event the crises nursery is hosting.  But you may not ask directly for viewers to send money in support of this program.   I hope that this helps! If you have further questions, please ask to meet with an MTN staff member to go over our rules.  Make sure that you have a copy of the MTN Handbook for Public Access, and pay special attention to page fourteen, the rules for Commercial and Non-Commercial Information. - Pam Colby