The policies established by your channel for elected officials will depend on the politics of each city. It is recommended to set guidelines for elected officials early rather than having them set for you by an authorizing authority after you've been on the air for a while. If you do not establish this policy up front, it can become a problem.
In most cities, elected officials are not allowed to have their own programs to protect the city from criticism of using public funds to promote incumbents. If elected officials have their own programs, they are usually taken off the air during election time (established by policy).
In some instances, some cities have provided air time for elected officials via news shows. Interviews on current issues with news segments about the official or stories showing elected officials at city events, groundbreaking ceremonies are a few examples.
There are two sides to consider when having elected officials on a government access channel:
The participation of
a popular elected officials in the channel, building support for the channel. In addition, some observers feel that elected
officials should communicate their accomplishments, responsiveness, and
concerns to their constituents rather than brow-beating opponents in
commercial ads. A government access channel is an excellent forum for this.
Producing programs for elected officials can quickly use up your resources and divert staff from day-to-day operations.