Commentator Guidelines

I.          Tri States Public Radio welcomes community members to self-voice self-authored compositions that express opinion, introspection or humor on topics of interest and importance to our audience.  Station staff will help community members craft these compositions as follows:

A.         The station will review every script before it is recorded with respect to:

1. Libel or slander.
2. Content that is more promotional than provocative.
3. Accuracy.
4. Personal attacks.
5. Political or religious content that promotes rather than informs.
6. Appropriate usage, language and form for civil discourse.

B.         The station will assist authors with:
1. Making appropriate edits.
2. Bringing the communication to proper time length, generally
about 600 words or 3 to 4 minutes of spoken word.
3. Recording the communication in the Tri States Public Radio studios

4. Editing the communication and placing it in the broadcast schedule.

II.        Tri States Public Radio will require authors to provide the station a final script that will be filed in the news department and may be placed on the station's website if the author so permits.  By submitting a commentary, author is automatically granting permission to Tri States Public Radio to use said commentary in its on-air broadcasts, website streaming and podcasting (initial here:_____yes__no__).

III.        Tri States Public Radio will air an introduction to each commentary as well as a standard announcer outro script that includes author name, place of residence, and whatever other personal information might lend authority or authenticity to the commentary.

IV.       Tri States Public Radio will schedule commentaries and inform the author of broadcast time(s), which are solely at the discretion of the station.  Tri States Public Radio reserves the right to limit the number of commentaries aired per month addressing a similar viewpoint on the same subject.

V.        Tri States Public Radio will refuse to air communications that violate rules of the Federal Communications Commission for non-commercial, educational stations. Further, Tri States Public Radio will refuse to air communications that would, for any reason, undermine its goodwill with the audience it serves.

Agreement Signature:

I, _______________________________, have read these guidelines and agree to abide by them as a contributor of commentary for Tri States Public Radio.

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Contributor                                                           Date