February 2023
Gavel Alaska content is copyrighted by KTOO Public Media. Generally, we do not distribute digital copies of our content and forbid its republication without our express permission.
Please do not infringe on our copyright by republishing our content or hosting independent copies of it. Sharing links and embeds of the content we host is welcome.
News organizations operating under the principles of fair use may use excerpts of Gavel Alaska content, but we ask that they do not crop or obscure any of our on-screen branding.
Frequently asked questions:
Q: What is KTOO Public Media?
A: It is the private, non-profit corporation that owns and operates Juneau’s public broadcasting stations, including the statewide KTOO 360TV television channel and Gavel Alaska.
Q: Why does KTOO Public Media hold the copyright? Isn’t the material in the public domain? Why does KTOO assert its ownership of the material?
A: Our ownership of all content which we create is protected under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976. This includes our video coverage of meetings of government agencies. We assert our ownership to protect the integrity of Gavel Alaska’s coverage. As a long-standing policy, we don’t permit our video coverage to be used for partisan political purposes, in campaign advertising or for commercial purposes. This policy protects not only KTOO’s financial investment and reputation, but also protects legislators from use of our video in ways that would be taken out of context, misrepresent or embarrass.
Q: How can the video coverage be used?
A: As noted above, sharing links or embeds of our coverage is OK. Copying, downloading, editing, excerpting and republishing is not allowed without our written permission. Permission is granted on a case-by-case basis. Contact us if you are interested in a particular segment.
Q: Who pays for Gavel Alaska?
A: KTOO raises the funds for Gavel Alaska from a variety of sources, including the City and Borough of Juneau, private sector business and organizations, individuals and our federal funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Until FY20, we received state grant funding to support the TV service at KTOO, but that funding was vetoed by the Governor, so KTOO doesn’t currently receive state support.
Q: I see Gavel Alaska footage on newscasts on commercial TV stations. How does that work?
A: As a courtesy, we permit legitimate news organizations to rebroadcast our coverage as long as they follow these guidelines:
Broadcast (television and radio) and digital media may use unlimited excerpts (up to three minutes at a time) with appropriate credit outlined below. Media outlets may not rebroadcast Gavel Alaska coverage in its entirety unless previously granted permission by KTOO.
- Radio/Podcast: Verbal credit to KTOO’s Gavel Alaska.
- Television/Digital Media: Do not cover or obscure any of our on-screen branding.
- No cropping of the video feed is permitted.
- Excerpts may only be used for the purpose of analyzing, reporting on, or commenting on the meetings and events.
- KTOO’s video may not be archived.
- Resale is not permitted.
- We occasionally offer full-length events to other stations for rebroadcasts.
Q: Does KTOO have an agreement with the Legislature to permit the coverage?
A: When Gavel Alaska started in 1995, Legislative leadership determined that KTOO should operate under the same press rules as other media organizations in the capitol. There is no formal contract or agreement between KTOO and the Legislature.