HARRISBURG — Television cameras are coming to the state’s highest court, as Pennsylvania joins the majority of states that allow some type of video or audio recording of arguments in front of their supreme courts.

The Pennsylvania state Supreme Court said Monday that it will allow the nonprofit Pennsylvania Cable Network to videotape oral arguments in front of it, beginning Sept. 13.

PCN cameras will be welcome at oral arguments in the justices’ Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Philadelphia courtrooms. Until now, the court has never allowed oral arguments to be taped for video or sound, or even to be photographed by the media or public.

Amy Kelchner, spokeswoman for the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts said the state is not paying PCN for the service, and PCN is not paying the state for the right.

There are limitations to what the Supreme Court will allow. For instance, the oral arguments cannot be broadcast live, and PCN must tape the arguments it chooses to cover gavel-to-gavel.

In addition, sealed proceedings cannot be covered, and the court says it can shut off the cameras “to protect the parties’ rights or to ensure the orderly conduct of the proceedings.”

According to the Williamsburg, Va.-based National Center for State Courts, many other states are ahead of Pennsylvania, in terms of such access.

Thirteen states, including Florida, Ohio, New Jersey and Maryland, allow live video coverage of arguments in front of their supreme courts, according to the center’s statistics.