Briarmont Stream Governance

A region's media stream is one of the few truly shared resources in Briarmont. Only one stream can play in a region at a time, so when a DJ goes live everyone in that space hears them, and whatever else was relying on the audio stops. That makes the stream worth governing carefully: not to tie it up in process, but to keep it running smoothly and fairly so it adds to the setting rather than fighting it.

The Stream Governance Group exists to do exactly that. This document describes what the Group governs, how someone becomes a certified DJ, what's expected of them once they are, how stream time is booked, how tips and attribution work, and what happens when the rules are broken. Like the Event Guidelines it sits alongside, this is a practical document. Briarmont is a roleplay community first, and streaming supports that rather than the other way around.

1. What the Group Governs

The Stream Governance Group has authority over three things:

The region media streams, as a shared, scheduled resource across Briarmont's regions.
DJ certification, including the vetting of new DJs and new radio streams before they go live.
The stream schedule, including time-block bookings and how stream-use conflicts are resolved.

The Group does not run events, approve venues, or set event priority; that lives with Event Coordinators and Briarmont staff under the Event Guidelines. An event only needs anything from the Group when it features a DJ: in that case it needs a certified DJ and a booked stream block. An event that doesn't use the stream needs no certified DJ and no approval from the Group at all. Everything in this document flows from the three responsibilities above.

2. Certification

Any Briarmont event that features a DJ must use a DJ certified by the Stream Governance Group. Certification covers the DJ, not the event, and it is the single approval the Group issues for performers.

Briarmont certifies two kinds of DJ:

Community DJs, who are members of the Briarmont community.
External DJs, who come from outside it.

Both go through vetting before they go live. Certification of external DJs is left to the discretion of the Group, which may weigh fit, reliability, and the needs of the community when deciding.

Demonstrating Ability to Stream

Certification is earned, not granted on request. Before a DJ is added to the roster, they demonstrate to the Group that they can actually run a stream cleanly. The aim is simple: when this person is scheduled, the stream works and the event isn't left scrambling.

A prospective DJ is expected to:

Run a test stream for the Group. A short demonstration session, arranged with the Group, where the DJ connects their own stream to a Briarmont region and plays live. This shows the connection is stable, the stream URL is correct and reliable, levels are sensible, and the DJ can start, hold, and end a set without help.
Understand how the land stream is set and cleared. Putting the stream in at the start of a set and returning the region to its default afterward is automated, but the DJ should understand the process: when it happens, what their part is, and how to recognize when something hasn't taken so a dead or wrong stream isn't left behind.
Agree to the content standards below, in writing or by clear acknowledgment to the Group, as a condition of going on the roster. Where a DJ relays an existing radio station rather than playing their own live set, the Group may want to hear what that station carries, since its programming and ads fall under the same standards.

Once a DJ has passed the test stream and agreed to the standards, the Group adds them to the certified roster. A group that wants to add its own DJ should have that person contact the Group to be vetted and added; certification is per-DJ and doesn't transfer between people.

Content Standards

Certification carries an agreement about what's appropriate to play and say while streaming on a Briarmont region. Because the stream reaches everyone in the space, including people in active scenes, the standard is community-wide, not personal preference.

Certified DJs agree to:

Keep content in step with the setting. Briarmont runs on grounded realism, and stream content should suit a public community space rather than work against the tone of the region.
Read the room and the rating. Match the content, language, and themes to the audience and the event. What fits a late club night is not what fits a college mixer or an all-ages community gathering; the DJ is responsible for pitching it correctly.
Avoid hateful, harassing, or targeted content. Nothing that demeans or attacks community members or groups, on stream or over the mic.
Carry attribution honestly. Use the correct tip and attribution setup for their certification type (see Tip Jars and Attribution) and not misrepresent who is playing.

A DJ who is unsure whether something fits should clear it with the Group beforehand. Agreeing to these standards is part of certification, and breaking them is enforced through the strike system below.

3. DJ Expectations

Beyond content, certified DJs are expected to:

Treat DJing as a privilege that supports the community. Stay active, and keep in mind that Briarmont is a roleplay setting first.
Coordinate around other events. Check for anything ongoing or upcoming and clear it with the scheduled event DJ before putting in a stream.
Include DJ names in event requests, so the thread and schedule are clear about who is playing.
Never put in a stream on behalf of an uncertified DJ, or for anyone but themselves or another certified DJ, without authorization from the Group.

4. Stream Scheduling and Slot Booking

Stream time is booked through the Stream Governance Group's scheduling calendar. The approved time block is recorded back in the event's planning thread, so the event and the stream stay in sync. Any event that requires the stream needs a Stream Time Block approval covering the full duration of the event.

How Slots Work

A stream block is a reservation of the region's stream for a specific event, time, and DJ. It exists to make sure the shared stream isn't double-claimed and that the right certified DJ is playing.

The rules for booking:

Book the slots you will actually use. A block is reserved against a real, scheduled event with a named certified DJ. Speculative or "just in case" holds tie up a shared resource and should be released if plans change.
Don't book slots for other users. A DJ books for sets they are personally playing. You don't reserve stream time on someone else's behalf, hold a block for an uncertified DJ, or park a slot for a person who isn't named on it. Where a group needs a slot for one of its DJs, that DJ (or an Event Coordinator handling the event) books it with the DJ named, not a stand-in claiming it for them.
Name the DJ on the booking. Every block records who is playing. A block with no named, certified DJ isn't a valid reservation.
Confirm availability when scheduling shared locations. Organizers should check the stream is free for their window before relying on it.
Release what you don't need. If an event is cancelled or moved, free the block so others can use it.

Stream Priority

Where stream use conflicts, event priority as defined in the Event Guidelines decides who has access.

5. Tip Jars and Attribution

Tip jar and attribution requirements for DJs are defined in the Event Guidelines.

6. Enforcement

DJ and stream conduct is enforced by the Stream Governance Group. The goal of enforcement is a fair, predictable response that keeps the stream trustworthy, not punishment for its own sake. Briarmont staff back the Group up where needed.

What Gets Enforced

Enforcement covers any breach of this document, including but not limited to:

Streaming, or putting in a stream, without current certification.
Putting in a stream on behalf of an uncertified DJ, or for anyone but themselves or another certified DJ, without authorization.
Booking stream slots for other users, holding or squatting slots, or booking against an event that isn't real.
Breaching the content standards.
Misusing tip attribution or removing the Briarmont jar.

Violations of associated guidelines, including the Event Guidelines and Community Covenant where they relate to stream use or DJ conduct, are also enforced under this system.

The Strike Ladder

Routine violations move up a simple ladder. Each strike is recorded with its date.

First strike: a warning and a 48-hour suspension from DJing.
Second strike: a second warning and a one-week suspension.
Third strike: certification is revoked.

Strikes clear three months after the date of the violation. A DJ whose certification is revoked may reapply and go through the full certification process again at the Group's discretion; the Group is under no obligation to re-certify.

Severe Violations

The Group may set the ladder aside and act immediately, up to and including immediate suspension or revocation, for severe violations. These include hateful or harassing content, deliberate sabotage of another event's stream or scene, repeatedly streaming uncertified, or any conduct serious enough that waiting out the ladder would harm the community. Briarmont staff support the Group in these cases.

Appeals

A DJ who believes a strike or revocation was applied in error may raise it with the Stream Governance Group, and, if unresolved, with Briarmont staff. Raising an appeal does not pause a suspension already in effect.

7. Group Discretion

Not every situation fits neatly into the rules above. The Stream Governance Group may waive, adjust, or apply any part of this document at its discretion to keep the stream running smoothly and fairly, in coordination with Briarmont staff. Community Events may be granted broader accommodation on stream scheduling and priority where that best supports the community's shared goals.