In accordance with the First Amendment right to the free practice of religion, and under the auspices of the Armed Forces Chaplains Board, religious programs are included in the American Forces Network (AFN) radio and television schedule. The programs must conform to the following specific guidelines: Non-Prejudicial Materials must not include derogatory references toward other religious groups or the leaders of those groups. They may not denigrate any person or group on the basis of religious preference, ethnic heritage, nationality, race or gender. They must be in full compliance with all Affirmative Action policies of the Department of Defense. Free of Solicitations Materials may not carry voice-over or graphic invitations to contact the producer or sponsor. This prohibits any offers of transcripts, books, tapes or counseling. There may be acknowledgement of the producer's name and address, provided it does not solicit contact. Such production tags may be accompanied by statements such as "produced by" or "this program has been brought to you by". Inclusive in Appeal Although remaining authentic to an individual theological tradition is fine, religious programs and spots selected for use on AFN should be of reasonable interest to a larger, pluralistic audience. Material of a narrow sectarian nature will generally not be recommended for distribution. Relevant to Audience Content should be applicable to contemporary life issues, especially those of interest to our target audience in the 18-30 year age group. Creative Although relatively young, our audience has been exposed to numerous hours of television and radio. Therefore, creative formats designed to communicate in contemporary styles are of great value to AFN. Network Broadcast Quality Programming must meet the highest production standards, both aesthetically and technically. Generally, this means that video productions should be produced and distributed in at least Betacam SP format and audio productions should be distributed in a digital format. Free of Charge Religious programming must be offered to AFN free of charge as a service to America's military men and women stationed overseas. Consistent with the Guidelines Programs offered distribution by AFN must be provided with the understanding they may be edited to conform to these guidelines and AFN needs. Suggestions and questions related to religious programming on AFN should be directed to: Director, Religious Programming Defense Media Center 23755 Z Street Riverside, CA 92518-2031