Americana in Focus

The sponsor is Mediterra Capital LLC, a Michigan limited liability company and owner of R66Radio (“Sponsor” or “Promoter”). Contact: Route66AmericanaRadio@gmail.com.

These Official Rules govern the Americana in Focus Photo Contest (“Contest”).

IMPORTANT DISPUTE NOTICE: SECTION 15 REQUIRES BINDING ARBITRATION OF COVERED DISPUTES, PROVIDES FOR THREE NEUTRAL ARBITRATORS AND A BERRIEN COUNTY, MICHIGAN ARBITRATION LOCATION, AND ALLOCATES COSTS SUBJECT TO MANDATORY LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATOR PROTECTIONS. ARBITRATION GENERALLY REPLACES A COURT TRIAL AND JURY, WITH LIMITED JUDICIAL REVIEW. READ SECTION 15 BEFORE ENTERING.

Each adult entrant, and each parent or legal guardian submitting for a minor, must affirmatively accept these Rules as described below. Sponsor administers the Contest through its authorized representatives. The obligations to administer the Contest and pay prizes are Sponsor’s obligations. No representative personally guarantees a prize or other contractual obligation merely by administering or judging the Contest. This provision does not eliminate liability that applicable law imposes personally.

Photographers may be legal residents of any country or territory worldwide, provided their participation, the receipt of their entry and any prize payment are lawful under applicable law. Participation and payments prohibited by applicable sanctions or other mandatory legal restrictions are excluded. Void where prohibited. Sponsor remains responsible for obligations imposed on it by applicable law.

Age is determined as of September 27, 2026. Photographers age 18 or older may enter the Concert, Wildlife, and Culture categories. Photographers ages 13 through 17 may enter only the Under 18 category. Children under 13 are ineligible.

A photographer who has not reached the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence must participate through a parent or legal guardian who has reached that age and is a resident of an eligible jurisdiction. The adult must post, submit, accept these Rules in their own capacity and, to the extent legally permitted, on behalf of the photographer, and handle all communications and prize acceptance. A person age 18 who is still a minor under the law of their jurisdiction enters the adult subject categories through that representative.

Sponsor’s owners, employees, Contest contractors and judges, and their spouses, domestic partners, parents, children, siblings and household members are ineligible. Participation is limited to photographers genuinely engaged in a professional photography practice, including part-time or sole-proprietor practices. For this Contest, that means offering photographic services, prints or image licenses for compensation in the ordinary course of a photography practice. A professional title, membership or full-time income is not required, but accepting these Rules alone does not establish professional status. Hobbyists who do not meet this requirement are ineligible.

Each submitting adult represents and acknowledges that the photographer participates in connection with that professional practice for portfolio exposure, professional recognition and potential commercial opportunities, and grants the Contest license in that capacity. The parties intend the entry and license to constitute a commercial professional relationship. No purchase of a personal, family or household product or service is required or contemplated. The parties intend commercial dispute procedures to govern, subject to Section 15 and nonwaivable law.

The same professional-practice requirement applies to the Under 18 category. The parent or guardian warrants the young photographer’s qualifying practice and their own authority to submit and license the work; the parent need not personally be a photographer. These acknowledgments do not confer legal capacity on a minor or waive protections that cannot lawfully be waived. Sponsor may reasonably request evidence of professional activity, such as a portfolio offering services or licenses, a business website or redacted commission records. Sponsor may verify eligibility before publication or award.

Entries open September 27, 2026, at 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time and close December 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. Pacific Time means the local time in Los Angeles, California, including applicable daylight saving time.

Fan Favorite voting runs January 5, 2027, at 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time through January 7, 2027, at 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time, subject to Section 8.

Winners are scheduled to be announced January 8, 2027. Eligibility or integrity reviews may delay a particular confirmation. Sponsor will publish a notice of a material delay and a revised schedule at the official rules page.

Sponsor’s receiving email system determines entry receipt time, subject to correction of demonstrable system errors.

One cash prize of US $250 is available in each category:

Best Concert Photo: live musical performance and the concert experience.

Best Wildlife Photo: wild animals physically located within a U.S. state or U.S. territory when photographed, captured responsibly. The photographer may reside anywhere. The location where the photograph was taken must be identified in the submission. A U.S. species photographed outside those locations does not qualify. This location requirement also applies to wildlife photographs entered in the Under 18 category.

Best Culture Photo: rodeos, neon signs, old cars, buildings, art, crafts, communities, traditions and related subjects.

Under 18: any Americana subject photographed by an eligible photographer ages 13 through 17.

Total available cash prizes: US $1,000. Category winners and Fan Favorite may be featured on r66radio.com and official R66Radio social channels at Promoter’s editorial discretion. Fan Favorite receives public recognition as Fan Favorite and no additional cash prize. Editorial features have no separately stated retail value and no cash alternative.

Upon submission, each entry becomes eligible for website publication under the license in Section 10. Promoter may post or feature submitted photographs on r66radio.com at its discretion at any time after submission, including before judging or winner announcements. Promoter determines whether, when and how long an entry is displayed, its placement, sequence, layout and display size. No publication, publication deadline, minimum audience or permanent display is guaranteed. Promoter may decline, suspend or remove a feature or photograph, including for editorial reasons, rights complaints, unlawful content, a material Rules violation, a legal obligation or a security issue. Photographer credit will accompany uses under Promoter’s control as provided in Section 10. Publication does not certify ownership, permissions or eligibility, waive later verification, or affect the published judging criteria. The finalist posts necessary for voting under Section 8 and the confirmed winner list under Section 15 remain part of Contest administration.

For this Contest, Americana means photographs exploring the people, places, music, wildlife, material culture, traditions or everyday life associated with the United States. Except for wildlife photographs, which must satisfy the U.S. location requirement above, photographs may be taken anywhere if their connection to the theme is explained.

A photographer may win multiple adult categories with different photographs and may also receive Fan Favorite. A category with no eligible entry will have no winner; its prize will remain unawarded. Otherwise, the highest-ranked eligible entry will receive that category’s prize, subject to verification.

During the entry period:

1. Post one photograph per public Instagram feed post using an account you lawfully control. For a minor photographer, use the parent or guardian’s account. Stories and direct messages do not qualify.

2. Follow @radio66americana and tag @radio66americana in the caption. Do not inaccurately tag people in the photograph.

3. Begin the caption with “Entry in the R66Radio Americana in Focus Photo Contest.” Include #AmericanaInFocus and #AmericanaInFocusContest, the category, the photographer’s approved credit name, and a short description explaining the subject and its Americana connection.

4. Email Route66AmericanaRadio@gmail.com with the subject “Americana in Focus Entry.” Provide the post URL, photograph as a JPEG attachment, category, photographer’s credit name, country or territory and state/province/region of residence where applicable, and either “18 or older” or “13 to 17” as the age band. Identify the adult submitting and provide their name and email. Include a professional portfolio or business link, or a brief description of the qualifying photography practice and services or licenses offered. Do not include identification documents, a full birth date, a home address or tax identification information.

5. Include the following acceptance statement in your entry email:

I have read and agree to the Americana in Focus Official Rules effective September 27, 2026, Version 1.0, including discretionary publication from submission and the express license to post my photograph on r66radio.com, ownership and lawful-capture warranties, judging provisions and limitations of liability. I expressly accept the duty to defend, indemnify and hold harmless in Section 11 in my own capacity as the submitting adult. I specifically agree to Section 15, including binding arbitration, the three-arbitrator provision, Berrien County venue and the requirement that the claimant advance all three arbitrators’ fees and expenses, and the reasonable prevailing-party attorneys’ fee provisions with their stated exceptions. I understand that covered claims generally will be decided without a court trial or jury. I confirm that I am an eligible adult photographer or an authorized adult parent or legal guardian submitting for the identified photographer. I represent that the photographer genuinely meets Section 2’s professional-practice requirement and participates for the stated professional and commercial purposes. I acknowledge that I am a professional represented by legal counsel in the State of Michigan. I acknowledge that I have read these Official Rules in their entirety and that I understand them. I acknowledge the intended commercial relationship and expressly agree to the AAA Commercial Arbitration Rules and Mediation Procedures, subject to Section 15’s mandatory exceptions. I have the authority and permissions required by these Rules.

By submitting an entry, every entrant acknowledges that they are a professional photographer represented by legal counsel in the State of Michigan, and confirms that they have read these Official Rules in full and understand them. The complete email and qualifying post must both be submitted before the deadline. A hashtag alone does not complete an entry. Read these Official Rules in full before submitting. A copy may also be requested from Route66AmericanaRadio@gmail.com. Keep the post public and unchanged through January 8, 2027, unless Sponsor confirms that it has preserved the entry. Sponsor may use the emailed copy for judging if a preserved post later becomes unavailable.

Limit three different photographs per category per photographer. A photograph may be entered in only one category. Multiple accounts do not increase the limit. If the limit is exceeded, only the first three otherwise eligible entries received for that category count. No entry fee applies; ordinary internet or mobile charges may apply. No new travel, purchase or photography session is required. Previously taken photographs are eligible if all rights requirements are met.

By submitting, each adult photographer represents and warrants that they personally took the photograph, are its sole legal and beneficial copyright owner, own all transferable intellectual-property rights in the photograph itself, and have full authority to submit it and grant every right stated in these Rules. For a minor’s entry, the submitting parent or legal guardian makes these warranties about the identified young photographer’s authorship and ownership and warrants their own lawful authority to act for that photographer. Copyright remains with the young photographer; submission by a parent does not transfer it to the parent.

No employer, client, agency, co-author or other person may own copyright in the submitted photograph or hold an assignment, exclusive license, lien or other right inconsistent with these Rules. A photograph originally owned by an employer or client is eligible only if the photographer has lawfully acquired all necessary ownership rights before entry and can document that transfer. Compatible non-exclusive licenses, including platform-hosting licenses, do not alone make an entry ineligible.

The submitting adult further represents and warrants that the photograph was lawfully taken: the photographer was lawfully present at the location, had permission to photograph where permission was required, held any required permits or credentials, and complied with applicable laws and binding venue, event, ticket, accreditation, access and contractual restrictions. This warranty applies to previously taken photographs as well as photographs created during the Contest. The photograph must not have been obtained through trespass, unlawful surveillance, prohibited drone use, breach of confidence or other unlawful conduct.

Ownership of the photograph does not establish ownership of depicted artwork, trademarks, a person’s likeness or other third-party rights. The submitting adult separately represents and warrants that all consents, releases, permissions and licenses legally required for capture, entry and Sponsor’s use within Section 10 have been obtained and remain effective for those uses. Where legally required, this includes model releases, consent from a depicted minor’s parent or guardian, property permissions, artwork permissions and venue or performer permissions. Those permissions must cover the intended website gallery, Contest publicity and other licensed uses without requiring Sponsor to make an additional payment.

AI-generated images, generative fill, replacement of subjects or backgrounds, and composites combining separate scenes are prohibited. Cropping, exposure and color correction, black-and-white conversion, sharpening and noise reduction are permitted if they preserve the scene’s factual content. Disclose material non-generative editing. Sponsor may request the original capture file and a description of edits to verify authenticity. An automated detection score alone will not establish a violation.

Entries must not infringe copyright, privacy, publicity or other rights; contain unlawful or defamatory material; or depict conduct undertaken for the Contest that involves trespass, harassment, illegal access, harm to wildlife or unreasonable danger. Do not disturb animals, restricted sites or sacred or culturally sensitive places to obtain a photograph.

The submitting adult is responsible for obtaining permissions legally required for entry and the authorized publication. Where required, this includes permissions from identifiable people, parents or guardians of depicted minors, rights holders, employers, venues or property owners. A public performance or public location does not by itself establish permission for every promotional use.

The submitting adult must retain originals and supporting permissions and provide copies upon reasonable request before or after publication or award. They must promptly notify Sponsor of an ownership dispute, rights complaint or material error in these warranties. If necessary rights cannot be established, Sponsor may withhold or remove the image and disqualify the entry. Sponsor may rely on these warranties for contractual purposes, but they do not bind third-party rights holders or excuse obligations imposed on Sponsor by law. The publication license does not require display of any entry, including unlawful, infringing or otherwise noncompliant material.

Sponsor will appoint at least two judges with relevant photography, arts, music or editorial experience. Eligible entries are scored separately in their categories:

Americana connection and spirit: 40 points.

Storytelling and emotional or narrative impact: 35 points.

Photographic craft, including composition, light, timing and execution: 25 points.

Each judge scores independently. The average total determines rank. Judges must disclose material personal, financial or professional relationships with entrants and recuse themselves from the affected category. Sponsor will appoint an unconflicted replacement to judge that category.

Ties are resolved by the higher average storytelling score, then photographic craft score, then Americana score. Any remaining tie is resolved by an additional unconflicted judge who ranks the tied photographs using the same weighted criteria and records a brief reason for the ranking. No random drawing will determine a cash winner.

Photographic evaluation involves subjective artistic judgment. Entrants accept the panel’s good-faith application of the published criteria. Subject to applicable law, those artistic evaluations and resulting rankings are final for Contest administration. Disagreement with an artistic assessment alone does not entitle an entrant to a prize, damages or a rejudging.

Sponsor retains reasonable discretion to interpret these Rules, verify eligibility and authenticity, investigate suspected violations and correct demonstrable clerical or calculation errors. Sponsor will exercise that discretion consistently, in good faith and in accordance with these Rules. This provision does not excuse fraud, unlawful discrimination, deliberate departure from the Rules or other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.

Follower counts, commercial relationships, purchases and public likes do not affect cash-prize scores. Sponsor is not required to publish individual score sheets or private deliberations except where required by law.

The two highest-ranked eligible photographs from each category, or all eligible photographs if fewer than two exist, will be the finalists. Sponsor will publish each in a separate official @radio66americana feed post before voting opens. Only likes recorded on those designated posts during the published voting period count. Sponsor will record opening and closing totals and exclude pre-opening likes.

The finalist with the highest verified eligible like count wins Fan Favorite. Voters may like more than one finalist, using one genuine account per person. Votes create no entitlement to compensation or a prize.

Purchased votes, bots, automated engagement, fake or multiple accounts, vote exchanges, paid boosting of voting posts, and offering compensation or benefits for votes are prohibited. Ordinary unpaid sharing is permitted. Sponsor may exclude votes reasonably determined to violate these Rules and retain evidence supporting that determination. An entrant will be disqualified for manipulation only where reasonably supported evidence connects them or someone acting at their direction to that conduct.

A tie is resolved using the finalists’ judging scores and Section 7 tie-breakers. Sponsor cannot guarantee equal algorithmic exposure. If a material platform failure or manipulation prevents a reliable count, Sponsor may restart voting once with equal 48-hour windows and public notice. If a reliable rerun is impracticable, Fan Favorite will be canceled with an explanation. The four judged cash awards are unaffected.

Potential winners will be contacted through the submitted email and, where useful, the official Instagram account. A potential winner must respond within five calendar days after the email is sent and provide reasonably necessary eligibility, authenticity, permission and payment information within ten calendar days after notification. Required declarations will confirm these Rules and will not impose undisclosed material obligations.

If a potential winner is ineligible, declines, fails to respond or cannot establish compliance, Sponsor may award the prize to the next-ranked eligible entrant. A public announcement may identify a potential winner as provisional while verification is pending.

Cash prizes are denominated in U.S. dollars and will be paid through a lawful bank transfer or electronic payment method agreed with the verified winner or, for a minor, the verified parent or legal guardian. A check may be used where practical and agreed. A U.S. mailing address is not required. Sponsor will bear its outgoing transfer fees; any recipient-bank, intermediary or currency-conversion charges will be disclosed where reasonably ascertainable and may affect the amount received in local currency. Sponsor will not require a winner to pay a fee to Sponsor to claim a prize.

Payment will be initiated within 14 calendar days after public announcement or completion of required verification and provision of lawful payment details, whichever occurs later, subject to mandatory legal restrictions. If a payment channel is unavailable, Sponsor will reasonably seek another lawful method and notify the winner of any delay. If payment is legally prohibited or no lawful method is available after reasonable efforts, Sponsor may select the next-ranked eligible entrant, subject to applicable law. A minor’s prize will be paid to the verified parent or legal guardian for the minor’s benefit, subject to applicable law.

Winners are responsible for applicable taxes. Sponsor may make legally required withholding and collect tax or payment-compliance information only as legally necessary and through an appropriate secure process. A prize is stated before any legally required withholding. No payment, purchase or bank login is required to claim a prize. Prizes cannot be transferred before award except as expressly provided for minors.

Copyright and ownership remain with the photographer. By submitting a photograph, the participant expressly grants Promoter the right to post, reproduce, publicly display and feature that photograph, together with the approved credit and submitted caption, on r66radio.com from the time of submission, at Promoter’s discretion under Section 4. The photographer, through an authorized parent or guardian where required, grants this non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license for three years from entry. The license also permits reproduction, display, publication and sharing of the photograph and approved credit in administering, reporting on and promoting this Contest and future editions of Americana in Focus, including on official R66Radio social channels, in email newsletters and in Contest publicity. No additional approval or payment is required for uses within this license. Publication does not depend on winning.

Sponsor may allow its service providers and social platforms to process and display the material only as needed for those purposes and their necessary hosting functions. Previously published Contest coverage may remain in historical archives after the three-year period. New uses after that period require permission.

Sponsor may resize, format or reasonably crop the photograph without materially misrepresenting it. Sponsor will provide photographer credit with each use under its control and promptly correct an inadvertent omission after notice. The license does not authorize merchandise, stock licensing, sale of the image, AI training or unrelated advertising. Separate consent is required for those uses.

A youth photographer may be credited by an agreed first name and last initial or a pseudonym. Sponsor will not publish the child’s full birth date, school or home address. No interview, portrait sitting or unrelated endorsement is required to receive a prize.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, each adult participant, and each submitting parent or legal guardian in their own capacity and only to the extent legally authorized for the minor, releases Sponsor and its officers, owners, employees, judges and Contest agents (“Released Parties”) from claims arising from ordinary negligence in administering the Contest, good-faith artistic judging under these Rules, third-party platform failures, and authorized use of an entry within the license granted above.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, the Released Parties will not be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential or punitive damages, lost profits or lost opportunities arising from participation.

These provisions do not exclude or limit liability for fraud, willful misconduct, gross negligence, violations of law or any rights or remedies that cannot lawfully be waived. They do not excuse payment of a properly awarded prize or use of a photograph outside the granted license. No provision assumes that a parent can waive every claim belonging to a child.

Defense, indemnification and hold harmless. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, each submitting adult, including a parent or legal guardian submitting for a minor, agrees in their own capacity to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Mediterra Capital LLC, as owner and operator of R66Radio and r66radio.com, and its members, managers, officers, employees, judges, agents, and service providers acting within the authorized Contest uses (the “Indemnified Parties”), from and against any and all third-party claims, demands, actions, proceedings, liabilities, judgments, damages, settlements, costs and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, expert fees, court costs and reasonable investigation and defense expenses, arising out of or relating to:

The creation, capture, submission or content of that adult’s entry or the entry submitted for the identified minor.

An actual or alleged infringement or violation of copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, confidentiality, contractual, property or other third-party rights connected with the entry.

An actual or alleged failure to obtain lawful access, required permissions, releases, permits, credentials or authority to take, submit or license the photograph.

Sponsor’s or another Indemnified Party’s reproduction, display, publication, formatting, distribution or promotion of the entry within the license granted by these Rules, including the website gallery and Contest coverage.

A breach or alleged breach of the submitting adult’s representations, warranties or obligations under these Rules.

Coverage is not conditioned on proof that the submitting adult knowingly misrepresented a fact or intentionally infringed a right. Subject to the exclusions below, the defense obligation applies when a third party alleges facts potentially within this coverage, even if those allegations are ultimately unsuccessful. The duty to indemnify applies to covered liabilities and reasonable expenses actually incurred or lawfully payable. There is no contractual dollar cap on this indemnity, subject to applicable law.

This obligation does not extend to the extent a claim or loss is caused by an Indemnified Party’s own negligence, fraud, willful misconduct, violation of law, use outside the granted license or an alteration exceeding the permitted formatting and cropping. It does not transfer liability that cannot lawfully be transferred. Mixed covered and excluded claims or expenses will be allocated reasonably according to their covered scope. The limitations on Sponsor’s liability elsewhere in these Rules do not cap the submitting adult’s separate indemnity obligation.

An Indemnified Party must give reasonably prompt written notice of a claim and reasonable cooperation. Delayed notice relieves the submitting adult only to the extent it materially prejudices the defense. The adult must promptly assume a covered defense through qualified counsel reasonably acceptable to Sponsor. Sponsor may participate through separate counsel at its own expense, except that the adult must pay reasonable separate-counsel costs where a material conflict requires independent representation or the adult fails to provide a timely, adequate defense. In those circumstances Sponsor may control the affected defense, with covered reasonable costs payable by the adult.

Neither side may settle a covered claim at the other’s expense without the other’s prior written consent, which must not be unreasonably withheld for a reasonable monetary settlement fully releasing the affected Indemnified Parties. No settlement may impose an admission, nonmonetary obligation or continuing liability on another party without that party’s express written consent. Sponsor may remove or suspend an image during a dispute without admitting liability.

These obligations survive publication, withdrawal, disqualification, prize payment and the conclusion of the Contest. A parent or guardian’s indemnity is their personal undertaking; it does not independently impose an enforceable indemnity on a minor. Disputes over these obligations are subject to Section 15 to the extent enforceable. A third-party claimant who has not agreed to these Rules is not bound by their arbitration or venue terms.

Sponsor may disqualify an entry for a material violation of these Rules, fraud, plagiarism, prohibited AI content, falsified eligibility, rights violations or proven manipulation. Decisions must have a reasonable factual basis and be applied consistently.

If a natural disaster, legal order, significant platform outage, security incident or comparable event materially prevents fair administration, Sponsor may suspend, extend or modify only the affected procedures to the extent reasonably necessary. Sponsor will publish the reason and revised procedure at the official rules page and notify affected entrants where practicable.

Sponsor will preserve valid entries and award announced cash prizes under the published criteria whenever reasonably possible and lawful. Sponsor will not retroactively change scoring weights, reduce cash prizes or add material eligibility restrictions merely for convenience. If completion becomes unlawful or genuinely impossible, Sponsor may cancel the affected portion with an explanation and any remedy required by law.

Sponsor uses entry and contact information to administer the Contest, verify eligibility and rights, communicate with participants, fulfill awards, publish authorized credits and satisfy legal obligations. Submission does not enroll anyone in marketing communications.

Information may be shared with judges, necessary service providers and advisers subject to appropriate access restrictions, or as required by law. Public entries and published features are visible to others and subject to the relevant platform’s practices.

Sponsor will retain nonpublic administrative records only as reasonably needed for Contest administration, dispute handling and applicable legal requirements, and then securely delete them. Requests concerning personal information may be sent to the Contest email. Required record retention and already-authorized public coverage may affect what can be deleted.

Children under 13 must not submit entries or personal information. Sponsor will address information inadvertently received from an under-13 child in accordance with applicable law.

This Contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Instagram. Each participant releases Instagram from responsibility relating to the Contest to the fullest extent permitted by law. Parents and guardians give that release for themselves and, only to the extent legally permitted, for represented minors. Participants must comply with Instagram’s applicable terms and policies.

15.1 Governing law. These Rules and Contest-related disputes are governed by Michigan substantive law, without applying its conflict-of-laws rules, except that mandatory protections of another applicable jurisdiction remain effective where they cannot lawfully be displaced. The Federal Arbitration Act, including 9 U.S.C. sections 1 through 16 and any applicable provisions governing international arbitration agreements and awards, governs this arbitration agreement to the extent applicable. Otherwise, the Michigan Uniform Arbitration Act applies. Michigan law supplements the Federal Arbitration Act only to the extent consistent with federal law.

15.2 Mutual agreement to arbitrate. Sponsor and each adult who affirmatively accepts these Rules agree that disputes between them arising out of or relating to the Contest, an entry, judging, eligibility, a prize, authorized image use or these Rules will be resolved by final and binding arbitration, subject to the exceptions below. This includes contract, tort and statutory claims that may lawfully be arbitrated. Sponsor’s officers, members, managers, employees, judges and agents are intended beneficiaries entitled to invoke this agreement for claims concerning their Contest activities, to the extent permitted by law. Invoking it also binds that person to its applicable obligations.

A parent or guardian agrees in their own capacity. This section binds a minor only to the extent that the adult has lawful authority to make that agreement for the minor. It does not assume that a parent’s acceptance binds every claim belonging to a child. Mere voting, viewing, or appearing in a photograph does not constitute acceptance of these Rules.

15.3 Administrator and rules. The American Arbitration Association (AAA) will administer arbitration under its Commercial Arbitration Rules and Mediation Procedures, as expressly selected by the parties regardless of the amount in dispute, with the agreed three-member panel and cost allocation below, to the extent permitted by law and mandatory AAA policies. This selection reflects the professional and commercial purpose acknowledged in Section 2. The parties select these procedures for both domestic and cross-border disputes, subject to mandatory requirements. Proceedings will be conducted in English, with interpretation or other accommodations where required for a fair process.

AAA retains its administrative authority under its rules, and a court retains its authority under Section 15.7. If mandatory consumer or other protective requirements apply despite the stated commercial purpose, those requirements control. Professional status alone does not conclusively determine classification or waive nonwaivable protections. The selected rules and fee information are available from the American Arbitration Association. Nonwaivable law and mandatory AAA policies control over inconsistent terms. Sponsor will comply with applicable administration and payment requirements.

15.4 Three arbitrators. Subject to the safeguards below, a panel of three independent, impartial arbitrators will decide each dispute. AAA will appoint all three through its applicable neutral-selection procedure, with both sides receiving the opportunities for participation, objection and conflict review provided by its rules. No party may appoint a partisan arbitrator. A majority will decide the case and issue a written, reasoned award.

If AAA or a court with authority determines that a three-member panel is impermissible, materially impairs fair access, or cannot be administered under mandatory applicable requirements, the dispute will proceed before one neutral arbitrator appointed by AAA. Reducing the panel does not expand the participant’s payment obligations.

15.5 Berrien County location and court venue. The agreed legal place of arbitration is Berrien County, Michigan. Any in-person hearing will be held there unless applicable law or mandatory AAA fairness requirements require another location. Telephone, video or documents-only proceedings may be used under AAA rules without requiring travel to Michigan and without changing the agreed legal place unless necessary to satisfy a mandatory requirement.

Subject to mandatory venue rules and the exceptions below, court proceedings permitted by this section must be brought exclusively in a state court of competent jurisdiction in Berrien County, Michigan or, where federal subject-matter jurisdiction exists, the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan in the division serving Berrien County. The parties consent to personal jurisdiction in those courts for such proceedings. This provision does not create federal jurisdiction or require a federal courthouse physically located in Berrien County. Proceedings to enforce a judgment against assets elsewhere may be brought where legally necessary.

15.6 Advancement and final allocation of arbitration costs. Subject to applicable law, mandatory AAA requirements and the safeguards below, the party commencing arbitration as claimant must advance one hundred percent (100%) of the compensation, fees and reasonable expenses of all three arbitrators. This includes the initial deposits and any supplemental deposits requested by AAA for preparation, conferences, hearings, deliberations and award preparation. The claimant must pay those advances directly to AAA by the deadlines AAA establishes. This requirement applies equally when Sponsor commences arbitration as claimant.

The claimant must also advance the filing and administrative fees assessed for its claim. A party filing a counterclaim must advance the filing and administrative fees assessed for that counterclaim. Filing a counterclaim does not, by itself, transfer the initiating claimant’s responsibility to advance all three arbitrators’ compensation and expenses, subject to mandatory law and AAA requirements. If multiple parties jointly commence a claim, they share the claimant’s advance obligation in the proportions directed by AAA, subject to the same safeguards.

Advancement is an interim funding obligation. Subject to applicable law and these Rules, the panel may allocate arbitration costs in the final award and order reimbursement of amounts advanced, including as part of a lawful prevailing-party cost award. Amounts required by mandatory law or AAA requirements to remain Sponsor’s responsibility may not be shifted to a participant. The agreement does not limit AAA’s authority to request deposits, apply its nonpayment procedures or require payments that it may lawfully require from another party. An advance does not establish liability on the merits, and nonpayment does not automatically establish a default on the merits.

If AAA Consumer Arbitration Rules and Consumer Due Process Protocol apply, the mandatory fee allocation controls from the outset: a consumer initiating arbitration pays no more than the permitted consumer filing fee, subject to applicable waivers, and Sponsor pays the remaining required charges and arbitrator compensation. Where Sponsor initiates a covered consumer arbitration, Sponsor pays the arbitration charges required of the business under those rules. The participant does not have to obtain a court order to receive these protections.

Regardless of classification, no participant must pay costs that applicable law prohibits or that would prevent effective pursuit of a claim. Sponsor will pay or advance the additional arbitration charges necessary to satisfy applicable law and mandatory administrator requirements. A participant may seek a fee waiver or allocation determination from AAA before incurring disputed charges. No claim will be forfeited for nonpayment of charges while a timely, good-faith request concerning those charges is pending. Sponsor will advance any disputed deposit necessary for administration to continue, subject to a later allocation only where lawful.

Reasonable attorneys’ fees. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law and mandatory AAA policies, the prevailing party in a dispute arising out of or relating to these Rules or the Contest is entitled to recover its reasonable attorneys’ fees and reasonable litigation or arbitration expenses actually incurred, including in permitted proceedings to enforce this agreement or confirm, enforce or challenge an award. This is a reciprocal contractual fee provision and applies to either side. The panel, or court for matters properly before it, determines the prevailing party and a reasonable award in light of the results obtained, necessary work, reasonable rates and proportionality. It may apportion fees for mixed results or determine that neither party prevailed. No duplicate recovery is permitted under this provision, the indemnity or another legal basis.

This provision does not override a nonwaivable statutory fee standard, authorize an award prohibited by law or mandatory AAA policies, or shift charges that must remain Sponsor’s responsibility. Any applicable legal or mandatory AAA restriction on shifting attorneys’ fees or costs controls. Statutory fee rights and lawful sanctions remain available. Losing a claim alone does not establish bad faith. Arbitration administration and arbitrator compensation remain governed by the preceding paragraphs, subject to mandatory law and AAA rules.

15.7 Rights, exceptions and review. Either side may bring an eligible individual claim in a small-claims court having lawful jurisdiction, including a forum required by mandatory consumer protections, while it remains within that court’s jurisdiction. Claims that cannot lawfully be subjected to predispute arbitration remain in a court with jurisdiction. Nothing prevents a report to or cooperation with a government agency, an agency enforcement action, or court relief needed to preserve the status quo pending arbitration where legally available.

A court with jurisdiction decides whether this arbitration agreement was formed and whether it is valid and enforceable, including questions of authority to bind a minor and challenges to the cost and venue provisions. The arbitrators decide the merits of claims properly referred to them. The panel may award remedies available under applicable law, subject only to valid limitations elsewhere in these Rules, and must permit a fair opportunity to present the case. Statutory rights and remedies that cannot lawfully be waived are preserved.

FOR CLAIMS VALIDLY SUBJECT TO ARBITRATION, THE PARTIES WAIVE A COURT TRIAL AND JURY. An award is binding subject to judicial review authorized by applicable arbitration law. Judgment on an award may be sought in a court with jurisdiction. This section does not independently impose a class-action waiver.

15.8 Informal resolution and administrator unavailability. Questions and proposed resolutions may be sent to Route66AmericanaRadio@gmail.com. Informal resolution is encouraged and does not delay a filing deadline or prevent timely commencement of arbitration, a permitted court proceeding or urgent relief.

If AAA is unavailable for reasons unrelated to Sponsor’s failure to meet its obligations, the parties may agree on a comparable administrator with equivalent mandatory fairness protections or seek lawful court appointment of a substitute. Sponsor may not use a substitute to evade required fee, accessibility or consumer safeguards. If AAA declines administration because Sponsor fails to comply and Sponsor does not timely cure that failure, the participant may pursue relief in a court with jurisdiction to the extent allowed by applicable law and AAA rules.

15.9 Severability and survival. If a cost, panel-size, location or other provision is unenforceable, a court may sever it to the extent permitted by law; the remaining agreement to arbitrate will continue only if legally enforceable. Severability is not a guarantee that a defective agreement will be enforced. If the arbitration agreement itself cannot be enforced, the court-venue provision applies subject to mandatory law. This section survives the Contest and applies only to persons who validly accepted it. No later amendment applies retroactively without legally effective consent.

These Rules govern Contest administration; advertising summaries must accurately reflect them. Mandatory consumer protections remain available.

Confirmed winners will be listed on r66radio.com. A winner list may also be requested at the Contest email through March 31, 2027, with youth privacy protections preserved.