The Harford Cable Network (HCN) Board (Board) is an agency of the County Council.

B. Meetings

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

C. Quorum

Seven voting members of the Board shall constitute a quorum.

D. Absences and Alternates

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, Clearview CATV, Inc. and Comcast Cablevision 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.

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

1. Conducting Board meetings.
2. Preparing meeting agendas.
3. Ensuring that all grant applications prepared by the Executive Director are submitted to and approved by the Board.
4. 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.
5. Providing general guidance to HCN employees in areas related to production and broadcast of HCN programs.
6. Meeting with the Administrator of the Council to:
1. Discuss the job performance of the Executive Director of HCN between March 31 and April 30 of each year; and
2. Conduct the annual performance evaluation of the Executive Director, in compliance with county policies.
7. Ensuring that a financial audit of HCN is conducted annually by the County Auditor as part of the county audit. If the Chairman is absent or unable to fulfill these responsibilities, the Vice-Chairman shall assume all the responsibilities of the Chairman. The current chairman shall continue to serve until a new chairman is appointed.

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.

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

HCN 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 obscene, a program will be considered to be obscene if an average person applying community standards finds that the program, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest and lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. Village Books, Inc. v. State 22 Md. App. 274.
1. The Board or the HCN 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.

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

1. Are judged by the Board or the Executive Director as containing obscene subject matter.
2. Do not meet the technical quality or standards established and published by the Board in the Production Guidelines or Board publication.

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 access is made in writing to the Board.
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 appearing on the program.
4. The request complies with the written standards for broadcast established by the Board.

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.

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 HCN’s 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 HCN 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 HCN 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 HCN. The opinions and views expressed in programs broadcast by HCN 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 HCN.

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. (As approved on July 10, 2001 by the Harford County Council) This request for access must be in writing. The programming material must be submitted in order to allow two weeks for review by the Executive Director.