5-11-1111. State government broadcasting -- structure and governance. (1) There is a state government broadcasting service administered by the division. The division shall:

(a) develop and issue a request for proposals for the production of gavel-to-gavel coverage of legislative and administrative proceedings as well as other public affairs programming that is approved by the legislative council;

(b) evaluate proposals and, on the basis of selection criteria established by the division and if an acceptable proposal is received, execute a contract for services with the most qualified operator; and

(c) coordinate with executive branch and judicial branch officials to facilitate broadcast coverage of state government activities and events that are pertinent to the purpose set forth in 5-11-1101.

(2) The legislative council shall assist the division in exercising oversight of the contract with the operator to ensure that broadcasts conform with the following principles of good conduct:

(a) Programming must be fair, accurate, and balanced without regard to partisanship or ideology.

(b) Programming must be scheduled in a manner that acknowledges the importance of timeliness in the delivery of information.

(c) Issue coverage and the scheduling of broadcasts must reflect a thoughtful balance of subject areas, geographic sensitivities, and attention to the various committees and other deliberative bodies engaged in the legislative process.

(d) Programming must always be intended to increase public understanding of both the substantive issues and the processes by which the legislature and other bodies seek to resolve problems, address challenges, and seize opportunities for the public good.

(e) Programming must include each branch of government to the extent possible.

(f) Production values must be of the highest attainable quality to accurately convey the genuine pace and tenor of governmental activity.

(g) Camera angles, shot selection, graphic subtitling, and other aspects of broadcast style and audiovisual content are subject to guidance and monitoring by the division to ensure impartiality and respect for the decorum of the legislature and other governmental institutions.

(3) The division is responsible for ensuring that the audio and video components of the broadcasting service are maintained in good working order.

(4) Operations and maintenance of the cameras, cabling, wiring, electronics, recording equipment, and associated information technology in the capitol and the broadcast production facility are the responsibility of the division. The operator, other contractors, if any, the division, and the department of administration shall cooperate with each other to ensure broadcast system reliability.

(5) The division shall develop and implement a plan to provide the maximum attainable transmission or distribution of broadcasts. The division may enter into agreements with one or more Montana public television organizations, telecommunications firms, nonprofit organizations, or state telecommunications networks for transmission or distribution of broadcasts.