The Cable Act of 1984 generally prohibits city governments from using public-access channels for commercial programming.
The policy relates only to commercial leased-access programming carried on the basic service available to everyone who subscribes to cable.
Others profess an almost moral commitment, arguing that open-source development simply works better than the traditional closed, proprietary environment of commercial programming.
After leaving a job in commercial programming in 1982, Steve Turner decided to concentrate on freelance computer game development.
The 0- to 2-year age group has become a prime target for commercial educational programming, often used by parents convinced that it's beneficial.
That means that roughly half a million hours of commercial programming will need to be filled each year.
Yet it admirably jams the gears of commercial jazz-album programming.
One critic contends that the Arthur merchandising is one more way public television has come to resemble commercial programming.
It was sold to new owners in 1982, and switched to commercial independent programming (while still airing some religious programming).
The city's franchise agreement with Time Warner forbids commercial programming on those five stations.