
[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR1]

[Page 25-27]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
PART 1--ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS--Table of Contents
 
Subpart E--Cooperative Production of Television Films

    Source: 22 FR 2904, Apr. 25, 1957, unless otherwise noted.

Sec. 1.71  Purpose.

    This subpart establishes procedures for developing special working 
relationships with the Department of Agriculture requested by producers 
of films for television use. These procedures are designed to guide 
Department employees and producers of commercial television pictures in 
entering into such arrangements.

Sec. 1.72  Policy.

    (a) General. It is a basic policy of the Department of Agriculture 
to make information freely available to the public.
    (b) Cooperation with television film producers. The Department 
recognizes that its people and programs constitute a rich source of 
materials on public services, often dramatic and interesting for their 
human values, which are suitable for production of films for television 
showings. The Department welcomes the interest of television film 
producers in its activities and maintains an ``open door'' policy with 
respect to the availability of factual information to such producers, as 
it does to representatives of other media. As its resources will permit, 
the Department will work with producers at their request, to assure 
technical accuracy of scripts and story treatments.
    (c) Special working relationships. In those instances where a 
producer of films for television seeks special Department participation 
such as the use of official insignia of the Department, or who request 
special assistance such as the services of technical advisors, use of 
Government equipment and similar aids which require a material 
expenditure of public funds, and where the proposed film will further 
the public service of the Department, the Department will consider 
entering into a special working relationship with such producer.
    (d) News film reporting exempted. Television and news film reporting 
of Department activities is not covered by this subpart.

Sec. 1.73  Responsibility.

    The Director of Information or his designee will be the authority 
for the approval of special working relationships on the part of the 
Department of Agriculture and its agencies. The Director or his designee 
shall not commit the Department to such special arrangements without 
proper concurrence and coordination with interested agencies and 
approval by the appropriate Assistant Secretary or Group Director.

Sec. 1.74  Basis for special working relationships.

    The Department and its agencies may lend special assistance on 
television films when it is clearly evident that public interests are 
served. Where special assistance is sought, an individual cooperative 
agreement will be drawn up between the Department with the Director of 
Information as its agent, and the producer. Details on such assistance 
as reviewing stories and scripts, loan of material, arrangements for 
locations, use of official motion picture footage, assignment of 
technical advisors and similar aids will be covered in the agreement, 
which shall delineate the general stipulations listed in Sec. 1.75.

Sec. 1.75  General stipulations.

    In requesting special working arrangements the producer must agree 
to the following stipulations:
    (a) The producer must show that he has legal authority to the 
literary property concerned.
    (b) The producer must show access to a distribution channel 
recognized by the motion picture or television industry. In lieu of 
complete distribution plans for a television series, a producer must 
produce satisfactory evidence of financial responsibility (showing 
financial resources adequate for the defrayment of costs for the 
proposed undertaking).
    (c) The commercial advertising of any show produced, using oral or 
written rights granted to the producer, shall not indicate any 
endorsement, either direct or implied, by the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture or its agencies, of the sponsor's product.

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    (d) Commercial sponsorship shall be only by a person, firm, or 
corporation acceptable under the terms of the 1954 Television Code of 
the National Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters, and all 
subsequent amendments thereto. Political sponsorship shall not be 
permitted.
    (e) That no production costs shall be chargeable to the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture.
    (f) That such cooperation will not interfere with the conduct of 
Department programs.
    (g) All damages, losses and personal liability incurred by producer 
will be his responsibility.
    (h) That mutual understanding and agreement will be reached upon 
story, script and film treatment with the Department before film 
production is begun.

Sec. 1.76  Department cooperation.

    When the producer agrees to meet the above stipulations to the 
satisfaction of the Director of Information, the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture and its agencies will be available for consultation on story 
ideas and give guidance through the services of a technical advisor to 
insure technical authenticity. Equipment, locations, and personnel will 
be available to the extent that such availability is concurrent with 
normal and usual conduct of the operations of the Department. The 
Department will check and work with the cooperators to arrange shooting 
schedules in order to avoid interferences with working schedules.

Sec. 1.77  Assignment of priorities.

    (a) Authority. (1) The Director of Information or his designee will 
make assignment of priorities for the U.S. Department of Agriculture for 
a television film company's and/or individual producer's story treatment 
of the subject matter, but no such priority shall limit use of the 
subject matter itself.
    (2) A priority will be given in writing upon acceptance in writing 
by the producer of the stipulations in Sec. 1.75(b). The U.S. Department 
of Agriculture will hold the producer's treatment of the story material 
in confidence until the producer has made a public release pertaining to 
the subject.
    (b) Time and scope. A priority will be given on the producer's story 
treatment for an agreed upon period of time. Requests for cooperation 
with similar or conflicting ideas and backgrounds will be considered 
only after holder of the first priority has used the agreed upon time to 
develop the materials.
    (1) Details on priorities will be written into the agreements.
    (2) The Director of Information will retain the right to cancel 
priorities when the producer at any stage violates the provisions of the 
regulations or of a particular agreement, or when public interest is no 
longer served.
    (3) No priority will be canceled until the producer has had an 
opportunity to appear before the Secretary of Agriculture or his 
designee.

Sec. 1.78  Development of special working relationships.

    (a) Preliminary. Prior to the submittal of a script or the rendering 
of an agreement, assistance may be given by the Department or one of its 
agencies in outlining story plans, visits to field points, and other 
incidentals that will assist the producer in determining his course of 
action.
    (b) Request for special working arrangements. Once the decision is 
made to go ahead with an agreement, either the interested agency or the 
producer will make a written submission to the Director of Information, 
requesting that special working arrangements be established.
    (1) In submitting scripts prior or subsequent to executing a written 
agreement under a special working relationship four (4) copies of the 
completed script shall be submitted to the Director of Information or 
his designee, along with a statement of specific requirements and the 
anticipated production schedule.
    (2) No script will be used under a special working relationship 
without the specific approval of the Director of Information.
    (3) Upon approval of the script, the agency of the Department 
concerned with subject matter will endeavor to arrange for the desired 
assistance with the stipulations of this policy.

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Sec. 1.79  Credits.

    On films on which the Department or one of its agencies provides 
special assistance it shall be mutually agreed by the producer and the 
Director of Information what credits shall be given to the Department, 
and the form these credits will take.
