Programming Policies

Public Access Channels

We are public and educational access for the City and County of Denver. Membership to Denver Community Media is not necessary to submit content for air. Colorado residents who want to submit programming content to the City and County of Denver (Denver Community Media) for air on DCM cable channels (Ch. 56, 57, and 881), web streaming platforms, and video on‐demand apps (dcminthecloud.org and ROKU) are required to sign and submit a Program Submission Form for each project.

To view the most recent updates for DCM's Programming Agreement as of March 20th, 2026, click here.(PDF, 205KB)

Denver Community Media (DCM) does not pre-screen content submitted by Colorado residents, but may view portions of a show to ensure that technical standards are met, or if staff are made aware of a programming violation as detailed below.

Submit a Program Online!

Watch Online Streaming

Program Scheduling

Priority scheduling is given to programs produced by Colorado residents. Among these programs, priorities for cablecasting are based on date of submission. 

DCM reserves the discretionary right to schedule programming of community interest and relevance and to preempt programs for live or special event coverage for timely activities happening in the community. 

Denver Community Media producers are encouraged to submit their individual or group media projects for distribution on the Denver Community Media distribution channels and media platforms.

Programming Rights

Programs submitted for cablecast and/or streaming on the Public Access Channel(s) and media platforms are the property of the producer of record. The producer of record is identified as producer on the Program Submission Form. 

Public Access Channels, streaming platforms, and websites are provided AS IS without warranties of merchantability, fitness for purpose, title, or non-infringement. Denver Community Media does not warrant accuracy, completeness, uninterrupted service, or freedom from policy violations. DCM has sole discretion to schedule broadcasts and may refuse programming that conflicts with federal, state, or local law or City guidelines.

Denver Community Media has the sole right to schedule cablecasts of any programming, and DCM has the right to refuse to cablecast any submitted programming found to conflict with federal law, state law, local law, and City guidelines as they may be adopted or amended from time to time. DCM, or its designee, may pre-screen program content for this purpose only if it possesses or is presented with credible evidence of specific prohibited or patently offensive content.

Content Restrictions

Video Content shall not contain the following restricted content (“Restricted Content”):

• Solicitation, advertising, bartering, or promotion of commercial products, services or transactions;
• Material that is slanderous, libelous, an invasion of privacy, incites violence towards an individual or group or is otherwise unlawful;
• Material concerning lottery information, gift enterprise, or similar scheme;
• Unlawful use of material requiring union residual, or other payment including but not limited to talent and crew;
• Unlawful use of material that is copyrighted or subject to ownership or royalty rights, right of publicity, or other payment; or
• Material that the City reasonably believes contains obscene content, including but not limited to sexual intercourse, sodomy, masturbation, sadism, masochism, excretion, or lewd exhibition of genitals.

Producer Sponsorship & Compensation for Channel Time

Denver Community Media accepts community-driven content from producers.  DCM cannot accept content that is commercial in nature or that promotes commercial products or services.

Producers may seek support for their programs through sponsorship or underwriting. Acceptable underwriting methods follow the PBS model and FCC guidelines and can be found here(PDF, 193KB).

Time on the community access channels is available to Colorado residents and DCM members free of charge. Sponsors are prohibited from receiving compensation from individuals in exchange for appearing on a public access channel. Channel time may not be bartered or sold.

Members are not allowed to receive compensation in exchange for allowing others to participate in their projects or appear on DCM cablecast, streaming, or media platforms. These are considered commercial practices. Blatant violation of this policy warrants an immediate suspension of a member’s privileges.

Time Slots

While Denver Community Media cannot guarantee dates and times for cablecast, producers may request certain days and times for their programming to air. Denver Community Media will prioritize these requests, but it will remain within the sole discretion of DCM when to air these programs. 

It is our goal to provide diversity of programming and equitable distribution of channel time. Submissions from a single program provider shall not monopolize channel time. Individual programs of all lengths and genres can be submitted as the schedule allows. DCM has discretion to schedule submitted content in a time slot that is appropriate for its content and target audience.  

• A regular series time slot can be requested by a member when their content is fully prepared to be submitted. 
• If made in advance, a request for a timeslot change can be considered as the schedule allows at the time of the review.  

Safe Harbor Scheduling

Denver Community Media will support all forms of expression on cable television in accordance with FCC regulations and other relevant laws. Therefore, Denver Community Media will ask producers to identify if the submission contains adult content as defined by the FCC online at fcc.gov/consumers/guides/obscene-indecent-and-profane-broadcasts. Such identified programming will air between 10:30 p.m. until 5 a.m. Failure to properly identify submissions will result in the program being pulled from DCM distribution platforms.

Disclaimers

Program Disclaimer: The City reserves the right to place a disclaimer before, during, and/or after any Content that is indicated as containing 'Adult Content" or that may be objectionable to viewers. The disclaimer will advise viewer discretion and indicate that responsibility for the Video Content lies with the Producer and not with the City or any third-party platform provider.

Technical requirements

Producers may submit their content via common file transfer services: WeTransfer, Box, etc. Producers may also share links from cloud storage services like Dropbox or Google Drive. Please send share requests to info@denvercommunitymedia.org. An alternative method may be to drop off an external drive to our location during normal DCM business hours. The programs will be transferred, and the media will then be made available for a return to the Producer by arranging a pick-up time for the external drive. DCM does not accept links to streaming services (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.), DVDs or videotape.

Denver Community Media may view portions of a show to ensure that technical standards are met.

Denver Community Media reserves the right to reject any program that does not meet minimum technical standards outlined on the Program Submission form. Should the submission not meet technical requirements, DCM will notify the Producer of the reason the submission cannot be accepted.

Political Campaigning

Everyone in the community has equal access to DCM facilities and channel time. There is no equal time rule for cable television. It’s the responsibility of the political candidates or those working on their behalf to submit programming, and if interested, produce programs to be shown on DCM’s channels.

It’s DCM’s responsibility to provide an open political forum. DCM considers election programming to commence with certification of candidates for the ballot and to end on Election Day.

DCM has no responsibility to produce programming for candidates simply because another candidate requests resources.

Political Programming

• DCM will not endorse political candidates.
• A candidate who appears in a program will be considered a guest of that program and the candidate’s appearance does not represent an endorsement by DCM.
• A candidate who wishes to produce their own program on DCM is subject to the same operating procedures as all DCM content providers. Political candidates may express partisan views and opinions on DCM, but candidates cannot use a DCM program as a fundraising solicitation.

Social Media Policy

Programs submitted by members may be redistributed on DCM social media channels in their entirety or in edited segments. Producers can and are encouraged to promote their own DCM shows and programs on social media sites.

Due to the nature of the internet, interaction with DCM social media channels is done at your own risk, without the expectation of privacy. Any action taken on social media, regardless of privacy settings, is a public action. All content provided to social media platforms may be publicly visible and tracked by third parties.

Though DCM cannot control the actions of other users on social media, members found using social media to harass, intimidate, or otherwise harm other members or staff will be considered in violation of DCM polices and subject to disciplinary proceedings.

When live streaming to social media at DCM, members must obtain from permission anyone who may appear in a live stream. You may not livestream someone without their consent.

Members who misrepresent their Denver Community Media affiliation or membership status via social media may be subject to suspension of membership privileges.