View source for C-SPAN

{{short description|American public-service television network}}
{{good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox television channel
| name = C-SPAN
| logo = C-SPAN Logo (2019).svg
| logo_size = 200px
| logo_caption = 
| logo_alt = 
| image = 
| founder = [[Brian Lamb]]
| launch_date = {{Start date and age|1979|3|19}}<br>(C-SPAN)<br />{{Start date and age|1986|6|2}}<br>(C-SPAN2)<br />{{Start date and age|2001|1|22}}<br>(C-SPAN3)
| closed_date = 
| picture_format = 1080i (HDTV)<br />(downscaled to letterboxed 480i for SDTV feeds)
| owner = National Cable Satellite Corporation
| country = United States
| language = English
| area = Nationwide
| headquarters = [[Capitol Hill]], Washington, D.C.
| former_names = 
| replaced = 
| replaced_by = 
| sister_channels = C-SPAN2<br />C-SPAN3<br />[[WCSP-FM|C-SPAN Radio]]
| timeshift_service = 
| website = {{Official URL}}
| terr_serv_1 = [[WCSP-FM]]/HD<br />(C-SPAN Radio)
| terr_chan_1 = FM 90.1 MHz analog/HD Radio (Washington, D.C. / Baltimore)
| terr_serv_2 = [[Selective TV, Inc.]]<br />([[Alexandria, Minnesota]])
| terr_chan_2 = [[K33DB-D]] 50.3
| online_serv_1 = Available to current cable/satellite subscribers
| online_chan_1 = [https://www.c-span.org/Live-Video/C-SPAN C-SPAN Live]<br />and on demand
}}

'''Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network''' ('''C-SPAN''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|iː|ˌ|s|p|æ|n}} {{Respell|SEE|span}}) is an American [[Cable television in the United States|cable]] and [[Satellite television in the United States|satellite television]] network, created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a [[Non-profit public corporation|nonprofit public service]]. It televises proceedings of the [[United States federal government]] and other public affairs programming. C-SPAN is a private, nonprofit organization funded by its cable and satellite affiliates. It does not have advertisements on any of its television networks or radio stations, nor does it solicit donations or pledges on-air. However their official website has banner advertisements, and streamed videos also have advertisements. The network operates independently; the cable industry and the [[U.S. Congress]] have no control over its programming content.

The C-SPAN network includes the television channels C-SPAN, focusing on the [[U.S. House of Representatives]]; '''C-SPAN2''', focusing on the [[U.S. Senate]]; and C-SPAN3, airing other government hearings and related programming; the radio station [[WCSP-FM]]; and a group of websites which provide [[streaming media]] and program archives. C-SPAN's television channels are available to approximately 100&nbsp;million cable and satellite households within the United States. WCSP-FM is broadcast on FM radio in [[Washington, D.C.]], and is available throughout the U.S. on [[Sirius XM Satellite Radio|SiriusXM]], via Internet streaming, and globally through [[iOS]] and [[Android (operating system)|Android]] apps.

The network televises U.S. political events, particularly live and "[[wikt:gavel-to-gavel|gavel-to-gavel]]" coverage of the U.S. Congress, as well as other major events worldwide. Coverage of political and policy events is unmoderated, providing the audience with unfiltered information about politics and government. Non-political coverage includes historical programming, programs dedicated to non-fiction books, and interview programs with noteworthy individuals associated with public policy.

==History==

===Development===
[[File:C-SPAN Robert Byrd.jpg|thumb|right|Sen. [[Robert Byrd]] (right), C-SPAN's founder [[Brian Lamb]] (left) and Paul FitzPatrick flip the switch for C-SPAN2 on June 2, 1986. FitzPatrick was C-SPAN president at the time.]]
[[Brian Lamb]], C-SPAN's [[chairman]] and former [[chief executive officer]], conceived C-SPAN in 1975 while working as the [[Washington, D.C.]], bureau chief of ''[[Cablevision]]''.<ref>{{cite book |title=Peer Participation and Software: What Mozilla Has to Teach Government |publisher=[[MIT Press]] |year=2010 |first=David R. |last=Booth |page=[https://archive.org/details/peerproductionso0000boot/page/81 81] |isbn=978-0-262-51461-3 |url=https://archive.org/details/peerproductionso0000boot/page/81 }}</ref> Cable television was a rapidly growing industry, and Lamb envisioned a non-profit network, financed by the cable industry, that televised Congressional sessions, public affairs events, and policy discussions.<ref name=Barnhart>{{cite news |title=Win like a lamb; C-SPAN remains a reliable source thanks to founder's fair approach |first=Aaron|last=Barnhart |newspaper=[[Kansas City Star]] |page=F1 |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=48H7-J1B0-010F-S1NX&csi=145214&oc=00240&perma=true |date=May 3, 2003 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref><ref name=NewsCheck>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/2010/04/20/41591/cspan-the-other-washington-monument |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130205063150/http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/2010/04/20/41591/cspan-the-other-washington-monument |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 5, 2013 |title=C-SPAN: The Other Washington Monument |date=April 20, 2010 |work=tvnewscheck.com |publisher=News Check Media |access-date=November 30, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Legislative Television As Political Advertising: A Public Choice Approach |publisher=[[iUniverse]] |first=Franklin G. |last=Mixon |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-595-27086-6 |page=2}}</ref>  [[Bob Rosencrans]], providing $25,000 of initial funding in 1979,<ref name=Barnhart/><ref name="Columbia College">{{cite web|url=http://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/jan05/features3.php|title=Original Cable Guy|work=college.columbia.edu|publisher=[[Columbia College, Columbia University|Columbia College]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080829153957/http://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/jan05/features3.php <!--Added by H3llBot-->|archive-date=August 29, 2008|access-date=August 5, 2008}}</ref>  and [[John D. Evans]], providing wiring and access to the [[cable television headend|headend]] needed for the distribution of the C-SPAN signal,<ref name="Paddock">{{cite news|url=http://www.ur.umich.edu/9798/Apr08_98/cspan.htm|title=C-SPAN chief says network has 'extended the gallery'|last=Paddock|first=Travis|date=April 8, 1998|work=The University Record|access-date=October 8, 2012|publisher=The University of Michigan|location=Ann Arbor, Michigan|archive-date=July 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729024731/http://www.ur.umich.edu/9798/Apr08_98/cspan.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The C-SPAN Revolution|last=Frantzich|first=Stephen E.|author2=John Sullivan|publisher=[[University of Oklahoma Press]]|year=1996|isbn=0-8061-2870-4|page=30}}</ref> were among those who helped Lamb launch the network. At meetings with House of Representatives leadership, Lamb and Rosencrans promised that the network would be non-political, which helped override broadcast and local network resistance.<ref name="Columbia College" />

C-SPAN launched on March 19, 1979,<ref>{{cite news |title=Lamb opened government with C-SPAN |newspaper=[[Journal & Courier]] |location=Lafayette, Indiana |page=6A |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=4R2X-FHC0-TWWX-S08V&csi=256482&oc=00240&perma=true |date=November 3, 2007 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref> for the first televised session made available by the House of Representatives, beginning with a speech by then-[[Tennessee]] representative [[Al Gore]].<ref name=TWP>{{cite news |title=C-SPAN By the Numbers |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=4BXM-NJT0-TW87-N2B1&csi=8075&oc=00240&perma=true |date=March 14, 2004 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The C-SPAN Revolution |first=Stephen E. |last=Frantzich |author2=John Sullivan |publisher=[[University of Oklahoma Press]] |year=1996 |page=23 |isbn=0-8061-2870-4}}</ref>  Upon its debut, only 3.5&nbsp;million homes were wired for C-SPAN,<ref name=Marcus>{{cite news |title=Confessions of a C-SPAN Junkie |author=[[Ruth Marcus (journalist)|Ruth Marcus]] |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |page=A31 |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=4BYF-XSH0-TW87-N26J&csi=8075&oc=00240&perma=true |date=March 18, 2004 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref> and the network had just three employees.<ref name=Wallace>{{cite news |title=Power Player of the Week Brian Lamb |author=[[Chris Wallace]] |newspaper=[[Fox News Network]] |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=4D3J-4CJ0-00MM-P4FJ&csi=174179&oc=00240&perma=true |date=August 15, 2004 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref> For the first few years C-SPAN leased satellite time from the [[USA Network]] and had approximately 9 hours of daily programming. On February 1, 1982, C-SPAN launched its own transponder and expanded programming to 16 hours a day; the arrangement with the USA Network was discontinued two months later.<ref>{{cite news |title=C-SPAN goes on campaign trail |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/82-OCR/1982-01-25-BC-OCR-Page-0099.pdf |access-date=August 8, 2021 |work=Broadcasting Magazine |date=January 25, 1982 |page=99}}</ref> C-SPAN began full-time operations on September 13, 1982.<ref>{{cite news |title=24 -hour milestone |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/82-OCR/1982-08-02-BC-OCR-Page-0008.pdf |access-date=August 12, 2021 |work=Broadcasting Magazine |date=August 2, 1982 |page=8}}</ref>

===Channel expansion and access===
C-SPAN2 launched on June 2, 1986, to cover Senate proceedings, and began full-time operations on January 5, 1987.<ref name=Shales>{{cite news |title=C-SPAN, America's Town Hall; Looking Back on the Decade That Brought Government Home |author=[[Tom Shales]] |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1183350.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105213910/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1183350.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 5, 2013 |date=April 3, 1989 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Ragsdale">{{cite news |title=C-SPAN has taken viewers on tour of history, government for 20 years |first=Shirley|last=Ragsdale |newspaper=[[Argus Leader]] |page=10C |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=470F-B6D0-01G9-9184&csi=256478&oc=00240&perma=true |location=Sioux Falls, South Dakota |date=March 14, 1999 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Milestones">{{cite web |url=http://legacy.c-span.org/about/company/index.asp?code=MILESTONES |title=C-SPAN Milestones |work=c-span.org |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=October 8, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717175854/http://legacy.c-span.org/about/company/index.asp?code=MILESTONES |archive-date=July 17, 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> The Senate had debated allowing television coverage for over two years, with Majority Leader [[Howard Baker]] introducing the first, failed, resolution to allow cameras onto the floor and Senator [[William L. Armstrong]] finally succeeding in televising Senate proceedings.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Life and Career of William Armstrong {{!}} C-SPAN.org|url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?14519-1/life-career-william-armstrong|access-date=June 25, 2020|website=www.c-span.org|language=en-us}}</ref>

In 1992, Congress passed [[must-carry]] regulations, which required cable carriers to allocate spectrum to local broadcasters. This affected the availability of C-SPAN, especially C-SPAN2, in some areas as some providers chose to discontinue carriage of the channel altogether.<ref name=Love>{{cite news |title=C-SPAN Cut in 95 Cities Around the Country For Total Loss of About Four Million Viewers Brian Lamb Says Competition for Air Time May Lead Network to Liven Up Its Format |author=Alice A. Love |newspaper=[[Roll Call]] |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=3S4T-HMV0-0001-S02F&csi=3624&oc=00240&perma=true |location=Washington, D.C. |date=August 8, 1994 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref><ref name=Oregonian>{{cite news |title=Federal Law Forced Paragon into Programming Changes |newspaper=[[The Oregonian]] |page= B08 |location=Portland, Oregon |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=4JN0-GVH0-TX1M-R2CG&csi=235910&oc=00240&perma=true |date=January 24, 1995 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref> Between 1993 and 1994, cable systems in 95 U.S. cities dropped or reduced broadcasts of C-SPAN and C-SPAN2.<ref name=Love/> Viewers protested these decisions, and some communities, such as [[Eugene, Oregon]] and [[Alexandria, Virginia]], were successful in restoring C-SPAN availability.<ref name=Morrison>{{cite news |title=Some of U.S. Want Our C-SPAN2 |author=Bayard H. Morrison |newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]] |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2001/04/08/some-of-us-want-our-c-span2/ |date=April 8, 2001 |access-date=May 22, 2013 |archive-date=March 27, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327021841/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2001-04-08/news/0104080011_1_lake-county-senate-debate-county-residents |url-status=live }}</ref> C-SPAN availability was broadly restored when technological improvements expanded channel capacity and allowed for both mandatory stations and the C-SPAN networks to be broadcast.<ref name=Love/>

C-SPAN3, the most recent expansion channel, began full-time operations on January 22, 2001.<ref name="Milestones" /> It airs public policy and government-related events on weekdays, historical programming on weeknights and weekends, and sometimes serves as an overflow channel for live programming conflicts on C-SPAN and C-SPAN2.<ref name="NewsCheck" /> C-SPAN3 is the successor of a digital channel called C-SPAN Extra, which was launched in the [[Washington, D.C., area]] in 1997, and televised live and recorded political events on weekdays.<ref name="Milestones" /><ref name="Moss">{{cite news|url=https://www.multichannel.com/news/time-warner-gives-lift-c-span3-136166|title=Time Warner Gives Lift to C-SPAN3|last=Moss|first=Linda|date=February 19, 2001|newspaper=[[Multichannel News]]|access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref> C-SPAN Radio also began operations in 1997, covering similar events as the television networks and often [[simulcast]]ing their programming.<ref name=Stoddard>{{cite news |title=Rosty to be Released from Custody Today |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=3SKN-K9R0-00BY-M0BK&csi=153182&oc=00240&perma=true |author=A.B. Stoddard |newspaper=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |location=Washington, D.C. |date=October 15, 1997 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref>

In 2010, C-SPAN began a transition to [[high-definition television|high definition]] telecasts, planned to take place over an 18-month period.<ref name="NewsCheck"/> The network provided C-SPAN and C-SPAN2 in high definition on June 1, 2010, and C-SPAN3 in July 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.multichannel.com/article/452819-IN_BRIEF.php |title=Cable Show Draws News of HD Channel Launches |date=May 18, 2010 |work=multichannel.com |publisher=[[NewBay Media]] |access-date=December 3, 2010}}</ref>

Lamb semi-retired in March 2012 and gave executive control of the network to his two lieutenants, Rob Kennedy and [[Susan Swain]].<ref name=Stelter/> On May 14, 2024, the C-SPAN board of directors announced that longtime [[CNN]] executive Sam Feist would become the new CEO. This announcement followed a national search initiated after Swain and Kennedy announced they would be retiring.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/2024/05/14/sam-feist-cspan-ceo-cnn/ | title=Sam Feist, longtime CNN executive, will become CEO of CSPAN | author=Jeremy Barr | newspaper=[[Washington Post]] | date=May 14, 2024}}</ref>

===Online presence===
In January 1997, C-SPAN began real-time streaming of C-SPAN and C-SPAN2 on its website.<ref name=Milestones/> To cover the [[2008 Democratic National Convention|Democratic]] and [[2008 Republican National Convention|Republican]] conventions and the [[United States presidential election debates, 2008|presidential debates]] of 2008, C-SPAN created two standalone websites: the Convention Hub and the Debate Hub.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mashable.com/2008/09/26/don%E2%80%99t-like-twitter%E2%80%99s-election-site-c-span-has-a-way-cooler-alternative-really/ |title=Don't like Twitter's Election Site? C-SPAN Has a Way Cooler Alternative (Really!) |first=Adam |last=Ostrow |date=September 26, 2008 |work=mashable.com |publisher=[[Mashable]] |access-date=January 27, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100808142229/http://mashable.com/2008/09/26/don%E2%80%99t-like-twitter%E2%80%99s-election-site-c-span-has-a-way-cooler-alternative-really/ |archive-date=August 8, 2010 }}</ref> C-span.org features further live programming such as committee hearings and speeches that are broadcast later in the day, after the House and Senate have left.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.c-span.org/About/The-Company/Viewer-FAQ/ |title=Viewer FAQs |work=c-span.org |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=September 27, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925045216/http://www.c-span.org/About/The-Company/Viewer-FAQ/ |archive-date=September 25, 2013 }}</ref>

On January 12, 2017, the online feed for C-SPAN1 was interrupted and replaced by a feed from the Russian television network [[RT America]] for approximately 10 minutes.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bromwich|first1=Jonah Engel|title=C-Span Online Broadcast Interrupted by Russian Network|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/12/business/media/cspan-russia-today.html|work=The New York Times|date=January 12, 2017}}</ref> C-SPAN announced that they were troubleshooting the incident and were "operating under the assumption that it was an internal routing issue."<ref>{{Cite tweet|user=cspan|author=C-SPAN|number=819652454237278208|date =January 12, 2017|title=This afternoon the online feed for C-SPAN was briefly interrupted by RT programming.}}</ref>

===Camera access===
C-SPAN broadcasts video feed, but does not control the placement or number of cameras on the House and Senate floor. Arguments over C-SPAN's camera in the House and Senate began as early as 1984, with a fight between Democrats and Republicans over camera angles. At the time C-SPAN only broadcast a shot of the person speaking. The Conservative Opportunity Society, led by [[Newt Gingrich]], took advantage of this by delivering speeches to an empty chamber, at times referring to Democrats who were not actually there. Speaker [[Tip O'Neill]], annoyed by the speeches, ordered the camera to display a wide-shot of the empty chamber without alerting the Republicans.<ref name=Weiner>{{cite news |title=C-SPAN denied cameras in the House of Representatives, again |first=Rachel|last=Weiner |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=February 4, 2011 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/04/AR2011020407317.html |access-date=February 8, 2011}}</ref> The incident turned into a widely publicized argument between Gingrich and O'Neill.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bencks |first1=Jarret |title=When Partisanship Got Polarized |url=https://www.brandeis.edu/magazine/2020/fall/arts-and-culture/gingrich.html |website=Brandeis Magazine |access-date=January 12, 2023}}</ref>

After the 1984 incident, the House allowed both wide-angle shots and close-ups of the speaker until 1994, when they reverted to just close-up shots in an effort to make the House look "more dignified."<ref name=Weiner /> The Senate, which had allowed cameras since 1987, had always only allowed close-ups.

In 1994, C-SPAN requested increased camera access from both the Senate and the House of Representatives, and for permission to bring their own cameras.<ref name=Weiner /> They asked permission to pan for wide reaction shots, and install cameras for House-Senate conference committees and off-floor interviews, among other things. They also asked permission to have C-SPAN employees man the cameras instead of government employees.<ref>{{cite news |title=C-Span asks Congress for greater camera access to sessions |url=https://www.rcfp.org/c-span-asks-congress-greater-camera-access-sessions/ |access-date=January 12, 2023 |publisher=Reporters Committee |date=November 29, 1994}}</ref> These requests were rejected. Speaker [[Dennis Hastert]] rejected similar requests in 1999, as well as incoming Speaker [[Nancy Pelosi]] in 2006.<ref name=Weiner /> A December 2009 request to film healthcare negotiations was similarly denied.<ref name=FoxNews>{{cite web |url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/01/05/c-span-challenges-congress-open-health-care-talks-tv-coverage/ |title=C-SPAN Challenges Congress to Open Health Care Talks to TV Coverage |date=January 5, 2010 |work=foxnews.com |publisher=[[Fox News Channel|Fox News]] |access-date=November 22, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101118140658/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/01/05/c-span-challenges-congress-open-health-care-talks-tv-coverage/ |archive-date=November 18, 2010 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

In 2011, C-SPAN again requested to bring cameras onto the House floor. Incoming Speaker [[John Boehner]] rejected the request, though he did allow reporters on the floor for 'special events.'<ref name=Weiner />

On June 22 and 23, 2016, C-SPAN took video footage of the House floor from individual House representatives via streaming services [[Periscope (app)|Periscope]] and [[Facebook features#Facebook Live|Facebook Live]] during a [[sit-in]] by House Democrats asking for a vote on gun control measures after the [[Orlando nightclub shooting]]. The sit-in was out of formal session and while the House was in official recess, so the existing House cameras could not be used to cover the event.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/cant-see-house-sit-c-span|title=Why You Can't See the House Sit-In on C-SPAN|last=Akin|first=Stephanie|date=June 22, 2016|work=[[Roll Call]]|access-date=June 23, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/06/22/the-real-reason-c-span-cameras-arent-showing-democrats-gun-control-sit-in/|title=C-SPAN cameras couldn't show Democrats' gun control sit-in – so Democrats did it themselves|last=Phillips|first=Amber|date=June 23, 2016|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=June 23, 2016}}</ref> These live streams violated House rules on use of personal devices on the floor, which C-SPAN noted through on-air disclaimers.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/23/us/politics/house-democrats-stage-sit-in-to-push-for-action-on-gun-control.html|title=House Democrats' Gun-Control Sit-In Turns into Chaotic Showdown With Republicans|website=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 22, 2016 |last1=Herszenhorn |first1=David M. |last2=Huetteman |first2=Emmarie }}Herszenhorn</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/cspan/status/745643506786504704|title=@cspan: C-SPAN has no control over the U.S. House TV cameras.|date=June 22, 2016|work=Tweet|publisher=C-SPAN [[Twitter]] account|access-date=June 23, 2016}}</ref>

In January 2023, C-SPAN gained widespread attention for its broadcast of the [[January 2023 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives election|Speaker of the House vote]]. As the House was not in session, C-SPAN had been given permission for its cameras to roam the House floor, and capture new angles in addition to the often-permitted wide-angle and speaker close-up. After [[Kevin McCarthy]] was confirmed as Speaker, camera permissions reverted to what had previously been permitted.<ref>{{cite news |last1=DeChalus |first1=Camila |title=With the House in chaos, C-SPAN shows footage Americans don't usually see |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/01/05/c-span-cameras-house-speaker-vote/?&wpisrc=nl_evening&carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F38bc806%2F63b74897ef9bf67b234c8422%2F596d08e2ade4e24119db5461%2F12%2F51%2F63b74897ef9bf67b234c8422&wp_cu=466552ee2313957ce7b379e29fbed753%7CF0F747E7294BBEAAE040007F01004453 |access-date=January 12, 2023 |newspaper=Washington Post |date=January 5, 2023}}</ref>

==Programming==

===Senate and House of Representatives===
The C-SPAN network's core programming is live coverage of the U.S. House and Senate, with the C-SPAN channel emphasizing the [[United States House of Representatives]]. Between 1979 and May 2011, the network televised more than 24,246 hours of floor action.<ref name="TWP"/> C-SPAN2, the first of the C-SPAN spin-off networks, provides uninterrupted live coverage of the [[United States Senate]].<ref name=Hodges>{{cite news |title=Historic debates will mark 15 years of C-SPAN |first=Ann|last=Hodges |newspaper=[[The Houston Chronicle]] |page=4 |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=3SJB-93Y0-0030-W550&csi=8380&oc=00240&perma=true |date=March 19, 1994 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref> With coverage of the House and Senate, viewers can track legislation as it moves through both bodies of Congress.<ref name=Newswire/> Important debates in Congress that C-SPAN has covered live include the [[Gulf War|Persian Gulf conflict]] during 1991, and the [[Impeachment of Bill Clinton|House impeachment vote and Senate trial]] of President [[Bill Clinton]] in 1998 and 1999 as well as the [[First impeachment of Donald Trump|impeachment proceedings of President Trump in 2019 and 2020]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=C-SPAN's Impeachment Coverage {{!}} C-SPAN.org|url=https://www.c-span.org/impeachment/|access-date=July 4, 2020|website=www.c-span.org}}</ref><ref name=Ragsdale/> When the House or Senate are not in session, C-SPAN channels broadcast other public affairs programming and recordings of previous events.<ref name=Newswire>{{cite press release |title=C-SPAN2 to be Added to PRIMESTAR's Channel Lineup |publisher=C-SPAN |date=December 4, 1996}}</ref>

===Public affairs===
The public affairs coverage on the C-SPAN networks other than the House and Senate floor debates is wide-ranging. C-SPAN is considered a useful source of information for journalists, lobbyists, educators and government officials as well as casual viewers interested in politics, due to its unedited coverage of political events.<ref name=Wallace/> C-SPAN has been described by media observers as a "window into the world of Washington politics" and it characterizes its own mission as being "to provide public access to the political process".<ref name=Harrington/><ref name=AboutC-SPAN>{{cite web |url=http://www.c-span.org/About/About-C-SPAN/ | title=About C-SPAN |work=c-span.org |publisher=C-SPAN | access-date=January 25, 2011}}</ref> The networks cover U.S. political campaigns, including the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]], [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]], and [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian]] [[United States presidential nominating convention|presidential nominating conventions]] in their entirety. Coverage of presidential campaign events are provided during the duration of the campaign, both by a weekly television program, ''[[Road to the White House]]'',<ref name=Hodges/> and at its dedicated politics website.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.c-span.org/politics/ |title=C-SPAN Politics |work=c-span.org |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=December 6, 2010}}</ref> C-SPAN also covers [[United States midterm elections|midterm elections]].<ref name=Rothstein10>{{cite web |url=https://www.adweek.com/digital/c-span-reaches-debate-milestone/ |title=C-SPAN Reaches Debate Milestone |first=Betsy |last=Rothstein |date=October 20, 2010 |work=[[Adweek]] |access-date=December 13, 2020}}</ref>

[[File:C-SPAN 112th Congress Roll Call.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.15|C-SPAN's [[High-definition television|HDTV]] coverage of the beginning of the [[112th United States Congress|112th Congress]] on January 5, 2011. The on-screen design seen here was used from April 19, 2010, to January 17, 2016.]]
All three channels televise events such as [[congressional hearing]]s,<ref name=Hodges/> [[The White House|White House]] press briefings and presidential speeches, as well as other government meetings including [[Federal Communications Commission]] hearings and [[The Pentagon|Pentagon]] press conferences.<ref name=Gillespie>{{cite web |url=http://reason.com/archives/2010/11/16/the-democratizer |title=The Democratizer |last=Gillespie |first=Nick |author-link=Nick Gillespie |date=December 2010 |work=reason.com |publisher=[[Reason (magazine)|Reason]] |access-date=November 22, 2010}}</ref> Other U.S. political coverage includes [[State of the Union]] speeches,<ref name=Ragsdale/> and presidential press conferences. According to the results of a survey after the [[1992 United States presidential election|1992 presidential election]], 85% of C-SPAN viewers voted in that election.<ref name=Harden>{{cite news |title=Feasting on C-SPAN; Diet of Public Affairs TV Puts Political Junkies Inside Beltway |first=Blaine|last=Harden |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-781215.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105213902/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-781215.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 5, 2013 |date=May 9, 1996 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref> The results of a similar survey in 2013 found that 89% of C-SPAN viewers voted in the 2012 presidential election.<ref name="JohnEggerton"/> In addition to this political coverage, the network broadcasts [[press conference]]s and meetings of various [[Mass media|news media]] and nonprofit organizations, including those at the [[National Press Club (USA)|National Press Club]],<ref name=Ragsdale/> public policy seminars and the [[White House Correspondents' Dinner]].<ref name="Harden"/> While C-SPAN does not have video access to the Supreme Court, the network has used the Court's audio recordings accompanied by still photographs of the justices and lawyers to cover the Court in session on significant cases, and has covered individual Supreme Court justices' speaking engagements.<ref name=Cohen>{{cite web |url=http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/10/08/c-spans-supreme-court-broadcasts-do-you-have-the-right-to-burn/ |title=C-SPAN's Supreme Court Broadcasts: Do You Have the Right to Burn the Flag? |first=Andrew |last=Cohen |date=October 8, 2010 |work=politicsdaily.com |publisher=[[AOL]] |access-date=October 11, 2010 |archive-date=October 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151005183859/http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/10/08/c-spans-supreme-court-broadcasts-do-you-have-the-right-to-burn/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Occasionally, proceedings of the [[Parliament of Australia]], [[Parliament of Canada]], [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]] (usually [[Prime Minister's Questions]] and the [[State Opening of Parliament]]) and other governments are shown on C-SPAN when they discuss matters of importance to viewers in the U.S.<ref>{{cite press release |title=BBC Parliament Goes Live on Digital Satellite |publisher=M2 Presswire |date=November 25, 1998}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.c-spanvideo.org/organization/40947 |title=Australian Parliament |work=c-span.org |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=July 16, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020024547/http://www.c-spanvideo.org/organization/40947 |archive-date=October 20, 2013 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> Similarly, the networks will sometimes broadcast news reports from around the world when major events occur – for instance, C-SPAN broadcast [[CBC Television]] coverage of the [[September 11 attacks]].<ref name=Milestones/> C-SPAN also covers [[lying in state]] in the [[Capitol Rotunda]] and funerals of former presidents<ref name=Kubasik>{{cite news |title=Networks planning coverage of Nixon funeral |first=Ben|last=Kubasik |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aGJWAAAAIBAJ&pg=4005,4621611 |newspaper=[[The Spokesman-Review]] |location=Spokane, Washington |date=April 26, 1994 |access-date=June 19, 2013}}</ref><ref name=Turegano>{{cite news |title=Television did its job as window on America's farewell to Reagan |first=Preston|last=Turegano |newspaper=[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]] |page=D-6 |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=4CMN-XKJ0-TWDC-M3BB&csi=11811&oc=00240&perma=true |date=June 14, 2004 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref> and other notable individuals.<ref name=Shannon>{{cite news |title=Lady Bird Johnson, former first lady, remembered at Texas funeral attended by 1,800 |first=Kelley |last=Shannon |agency=[[Associated Press]] |url=http://www.iowastatedaily.com/news/article_71f2ae93-5c8b-5cc4-b0d6-2894e1383a98.html |date=July 14, 2007 |access-date=May 22, 2013 |archive-date=August 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801134924/https://www.iowastatedaily.com/news/article_71f2ae93-5c8b-5cc4-b0d6-2894e1383a98.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2005, C-SPAN covered [[Hurricane Katrina]] through [[NBC]] affiliate [[WDSU]] in [[New Orleans]], as well as coverage of [[Hurricane Ike]] via [[CBS]] affiliate [[KHOU]] in [[Houston]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Coverage of Gustav tops politics on Day 1 |first=John|last=Timpane |newspaper=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] |url=http://articles.philly.com/2008-09-02/news/25248177_1_c-span-coverage-convention-planners |date=September 2, 2008 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref> C-SPAN also carries CBC coverage during events that affect [[Canada|Canadians]], such as the [[Canadian federal elections]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.connect2canada.com/event/electionNight_2008/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112105321/http://www.connect2canada.com/event/electionNight_2008/  |archive-date=January 12, 2012 |title=Election night 2008 |work=Connect2Canada.com |publisher=Connect2Canada |access-date=December 7, 2010}}</ref> the [[death and state funeral of Pierre Trudeau]],<ref>{{cite video |date=October 3, 2000 |title=Former Prime Minister Trudeau Funeral |url=http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/Trudea |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=October 18, 2013}}</ref> and the [[2003 North America blackout]].<ref>{{cite video |date=August 14, 2003 |title=Northeastern Electricity Failures |url=http://c-spanvideo.org/program/Northeaste |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=October 18, 2013 |archive-date=October 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131017060612/http://c-spanvideo.org/program/Northeaste |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite video |date=September 3, 2003 |title=Northeast Power Outages, Day 1 |url=http://c-spanvideo.org/program/Outage |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=October 18, 2013 |archive-date=October 31, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131031235723/http://c-spanvideo.org/program/Outage |url-status=dead }}</ref> During early 2011, C-SPAN carried broadcasts by [[Al Jazeera Arabic|Al Jazeera]] to cover the events in [[2011 Egyptian revolution|Egypt]], [[Tunisian revolution|Tunisia]], and other Arab nations.<ref name=Milestones/><ref name="Al Jazeera">{{cite web |url=http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/Qadha |title=Moammar Qadhafi Address |date=March 2, 2011 |work=c-spanvideo.org |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=March 15, 2011}}</ref> Additionally, C-SPAN simulcasts [[NASA]] Space Shuttle mission launches and landings live, using video footage and audio sourced from [[NASA TV]].<ref name=AlBawaba>{{cite news |title=E-Vision launches C-Span channel on its cable network |newspaper=[[Al Bawaba]] |url=http://www.albawaba.com/news/e-vision-launches-c-span-channel-its-cable-network |location=Amman, Jordan |date=June 11, 2009 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref>

With its public affairs programming, C-SPAN intends to offer different viewpoints by allowing time for multiple opinions to be discussed on a given topic. For example, in 2004 C-SPAN intended to televise a speech by [[Holocaust]] historian [[Deborah Lipstadt]] adjacent to a speech by [[Holocaust denier]] [[David Irving]], who had [[Irving v Penguin Books Ltd|unsuccessfully sued Lipstadt]] for [[libel]] in the [[United Kingdom]] four years earlier; C-SPAN was criticized for its use of the word "balance" to describe the plan to cover both Lipstadt and Irving.<ref>{{cite web |title=C-SPAN's David Irving contretemps |url=http://www.adl.org/learn/extremism_in_america_updates/individuals/david_irving/irving_update_20050413.htm |date=April 13, 2005 |work=adl.org |publisher=[[Anti-Defamation League]] |access-date=July 29, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090801105915/http://www.adl.org/learn/extremism_in_america_updates/individuals/david_irving/irving_update_20050413.htm |archive-date=August 1, 2009 }}</ref><ref name=Cohen05>{{cite news |title=C-SPAN's Balance of the Absurd |first=Richard|last=Cohen |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35346-2005Mar14.html |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=March 15, 2005 |access-date=June 11, 2013}}</ref> When Lipstadt ended media access to her speech, C-SPAN canceled coverage of both.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lipstadt/Irving Libel Trial |url=http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/Lipst |work=c-spanvideo.org |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=March 22, 2011}}</ref>

The network strives for [[Objectivity (journalism)|neutrality]] and a lack of [[bias]]; in all programming when on-camera hosts are present their role is simply to facilitate and explain proceedings to the viewer.<ref name=Barnhart/> Due to this policy, C-SPAN hosts do not state their names on television.<ref name="Wallace"/>

===C-SPAN and C-SPAN2 flagship programs===
C-SPAN covers floor proceedings of the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]], while C-SPAN 2 covers floor proceedings of the [[United States Senate|Senate]].<ref name="faq">{{Cite web|url=https://www.c-span.org/about/faq/|title=FAQs|website=C-SPAN|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190822185926/https://www.c-span.org/about/faq/|archive-date=August 22, 2019|url-status=live|access-date=August 22, 2019}}</ref> Although many hours of programming on C-SPAN are dedicated to coverage of the House, the network's daily programming begins with the political phone-in and interview program ''Washington Journal'' from 7:00 to 10:00&nbsp;a.m. Eastern Time.<ref name="Milestones"/> ''Washington Journal'' premiered on January 4, 1995, and has been broadcast every morning since then, with guests including elected officials, government administrators, and journalists. The program covers current events, with guests answering questions on topics presented by the hosts, as well as questions from members of the general public.<ref name=Irvine>{{cite news |title=Accuracy in media; Left-Winger's "Truth' Exposed As Make-Believe |author=[[Reed Irvine]] |newspaper=[[Chattanooga Free Press]] |page=A11 |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=3SP2-BXX0-00C0-G48F&csi=155832&oc=00240&perma=true |date=May 10, 1998 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref> On weeknights C-SPAN2 dedicates its schedule to ''Politics and Public Policy Today'' (9:00&nbsp;p.m. – midnight for the East Coast primetime, replayed immediately for the West Coast primetime), which is a block of recordings of the day's noteworthy events in rapid succession. On the weekend schedule, C-SPAN's main program is ''[[Q&A (U.S. talk show)|Q&A]]'', a Sunday evening interview program hosted by Susan Swain, with guests including journalists, politicians, authors, and other public figures.<ref name=McArdle>{{cite news |title=New Show, Familiar Format For C-SPAN |first=John|last=McArdle |newspaper=[[Roll Call]] |location=Washington, D.C. |date=December 6, 2004 |url=http://www.rollcall.com/issues/50_56/ath/7559-1.html |access-date=September 28, 2010}}</ref>

On weekends, C-SPAN2 dedicates its schedule to ''[[Book TV]]'', which is 48 hours of programming about non-fiction books, book events, and authors. ''Book TV'' was launched in September 1998. ''[[Booknotes]]'' was originally broadcast from [[List of Booknotes interviews first aired in 1989|1989]] to [[List of Booknotes interviews first aired in 2004|2004]],<ref name=Boston>{{cite news |title='Booknotes' Afterword |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |url=http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2004/08/19/booknotes_afterword/ |date=August 19, 2004 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref> as a one-hour one-on-one [[interview]] of a non-fiction author.<ref name=Heltzel>{{cite news |title=Books on TV, and a Host Who Listens |author=Ellen Emry Heltzel |newspaper=[[The Oregonian]] |page=F07 |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=4JN6-91T0-TX1M-R2X2&csi=235910&oc=00240&perma=true |location=Portland, Oregon |date=August 17, 1997 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref> Repeats of the interviews remain a regular part of the ''Book TV'' schedule with the title ''Encore Booknotes''.<ref>{{cite news|title=C-SPAN's 'Booknotes' nearing end|url=http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/08/12/tem_0812booknotes.html|access-date=April 26, 2015|work=[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]]|date=August 12, 2004}}</ref> Other ''Book TV'' programs feature political and historical books and biographies of public figures. These include ''[[In Depth]]'', a live, monthly, three-hour interview with a single author, and ''[[After Words]]'',<ref name=Herald>{{cite news |title=Editorial |newspaper=[[The Sun Herald]] |page=C12 |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=4GY3-4YN0-0190-K33T&csi=247810&oc=00240&perma=true |location=Biloxi, Mississippi |date=September 14, 2003 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref> an author interview program featuring guest hosts interviewing authors on topics with which both are familiar.<ref name=Milliot>{{cite news |title=BookTV Eyes More Original Programming |first=Jim|last=Milliot |url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20050110/33417-booktv-eyes-more-original-programming.html |newspaper=[[Publishers Weekly]] |date=January 10, 2005 |access-date=May 15, 2013}}</ref> ''After Words'' was developed as a new type of author interview program after the end of production of ''Booknotes''.<ref name=Milliot/> Weekend programming on ''Book TV'' also includes coverage of book events such as panel discussions, book fairs,<ref name=Estepa>{{cite news |title=C-SPAN2's 'Book TV' Wins Honor For Its Work |first=Jessica|last=Estepa |newspaper=[[Roll Call]] |location=Washington, D.C. |date=July 15, 2010 |url=http://www.rollcall.com/issues/56_6/-48335-1.html |access-date=February 8, 2011}}</ref> book signings, readings by authors and tours of bookstores around the U.S.<ref name=Newswire/>

===C-SPAN3===
C-SPAN 3 covers public affairs events, congressional hearings and history programming.<ref name="faq" /> The weekday programming on C-SPAN3 (from the morning — anywhere from 6 to 8:30&nbsp;a.m. — to 8 p.m. Eastern Time) features uninterrupted live public affairs events, in particular political events from Washington, D.C.<ref name=Moss/> Each weekend since January 8, 2011, the network has broadcast 48 hours of programming dedicated to the history of the United States, under the umbrella title ''American History TV''.<ref name=NewsCheck/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/01/turn-to-c-span-for-american-history/ |title=Turn to C-SPAN for American History |first=Jenny|last=Williams |date=January 7, 2011 |work=wired.com |publisher=[[Wired (website)|Wired]] |access-date=January 17, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=C-SPAN Launching History Programming Block |first=Alex |last=Weprin |url=http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/c-span-launching-history-programming-block_b47006 |date=January 6, 2011 |work=mediabistro.com |publisher=[[WebMediaBrands]] |access-date=May 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808054530/http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/c-span-launching-history-programming-block_b47006 |archive-date=August 8, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The programming covers the history of the U.S. from the founding of the nation through the late 20th century. Programs include ''American Artifacts'', which is dedicated to exploring museums, archives and historical sites, and ''Lectures in History'', featuring major university history professors giving lectures on U.S. history.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historynet.com/american-history-tv-new-from-c-span.htm |title=American History TV – New from C-SPAN |author=Gerald D. Swick |date=January 18, 2011 |work=historynet.com |publisher=Weider History Group |access-date=November 22, 2010}}</ref> In 2009, C-SPAN3 aired an eight-installment series of interviews from the [[Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics]] at the [[University of Kansas]], which featured historian [[Richard Norton Smith]] and Vice President [[Walter Mondale]], among other interviewees.<ref name=States>{{cite press release |title=C-SPAN3 to Air Dole Institute Interviews with Bob Dole, Walter Mondale |url=http://archive.news.ku.edu/2009/november/20/cspan.shtml |publisher=[[The University of Kansas]] |date=November 20, 2009 |access-date=May 22, 2013 |archive-date=March 27, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327013907/http://archive.news.ku.edu/2009/november/20/cspan.shtml |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Special programming===
C-SPAN has also occasionally produced special episodes and series. In 1989, C-SPAN celebrated its 10th anniversary with a three-hour retrospective on the history of the network.<ref name=Shales /> In 1994, ''Booknotes'' collaborated with Lincoln scholar [[Harold Holzer]] to produce [[The Lincoln–Douglas Debates (1994 reenactments)|reenactments]] of the [[Lincoln–Douglas debates of 1858|1858 Lincoln–Douglas debates]] for the network's 15th anniversary.<ref name=Rust>{{cite news |title=Americans Speak Up on Talk TV |first=Michael |last=Rust |newspaper=[[Insight on the News]] |url=https://www.questia.com/library/1G1-20204516/americans-speak-up-on-talk-tv |date=February 9, 1998 |access-date=May 22, 2013 |archive-date=December 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201222155846/https://www.gale.com/databases/questia |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[The Alexis de Tocqueville Tour: Exploring Democracy in America]] and ''[[American Writers: A Journey Through History]]'' took viewers on tours of the United States, themed around [[Alexis de Tocqueville]]'s travels and the works of 40 famous American writers, respectively.<ref name=Prial>{{cite news |title=After Many Million Pages, 'Booknotes' Ends Its Run |author=Frank J. Prial |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/04/arts/television/04lamb.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 4, 2004 |access-date=May 15, 2013}}</ref> The year-long series ''[[American Presidents: Life Portraits]]'', produced to commemorate the 20th anniversary of C-SPAN, won a [[Peabody Award]].<ref>{{cite web|title=American Presidents: Life Portraits|url=http://www.c-span.org/series/?presidents|publisher=C-SPAN|access-date=March 7, 2016}}</ref><ref>[http://www.peabodyawards.com/award-profile/american-presidents-life-portraits 59th Annual Peabody Awards], May 2000.</ref> The network has also produced special feature documentaries on the history of various American institutions and landmarks. In 2005, C-SPAN hosted a 25-hour "call-in marathon" and essay contest, the winner of which was invited to co-host an hour of the broadcast, to commemorate 25 years of taking viewer telephone calls.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://legacy.c-span.org/C-SPAN25/contestwinners.asp |title=C-SPAN's 24-Hour Call-In Marathon |work=c-span.org |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=June 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110819231444/http://legacy.c-span.org/C-SPAN25/contestwinners.asp |archive-date=August 19, 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

===Radio broadcasts===
In addition to the three television networks, C-SPAN also broadcasts via C-SPAN Radio, which is carried on their [[owned-and-operated station]] [[WCSP-FM]] (90.1 FM) in the Washington, D.C., area with all three cable network feeds airing via [[HD Radio]] subchannels, and nationwide on XM Satellite Radio.<ref name=Babington>{{cite news |title=Radio Deal Could Face Technical Difficulties; XM, Sirius Systems Already Strained |first=Charles|last=Babington |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-5829372.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808122035/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-5829372.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 8, 2014 |date=March 19, 2007 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref> Its programming is also livestreamed at c-span.org and is available via [[application software|apps]] for iPhone, BlackBerry and Android devices.<ref name=C-SPANRadio>{{cite web|url=http://www.c-span.org/C-SPAN-Radio/How-to-Listen-to-C-SPAN-Radio/ |title=How to Listen to C-SPAN Radio |work=c-span.org |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=June 20, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120104200941/http://www.c-span.org/C-SPAN-Radio/How-to-Listen-to-C-SPAN-Radio/ |archive-date=January 4, 2012 }}</ref><ref name=Relax>{{cite news |title=The most popular iPhone news applications |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |date=March 23, 2010 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/the-most-popular-iphone-news-applications-1927640.html |access-date=October 11, 2010 |archive-date=September 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925044710/http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/the-most-popular-iphone-news-applications-1927640.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> C-SPAN Radio has a selective policy regarding its broadcast content, rather than duplicating the television network programming, although it does offer some audio simulcasts of programs such as ''Washington Journal''.<ref name=Kaltenbach>{{cite news |title=New station features processes of government; Radio: WCSP-FM (90.1) serves up large doses of public policy as it's happening, but more selectively than C-SPAN. |first=Chris |last=Kaltenbach |newspaper=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |url=http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1998-02-22/features/1998053072_1_c-span-spence-public-policy |date=February 22, 1998 |access-date=May 22, 2013 |archive-date=October 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004220759/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1998-02-22/features/1998053072_1_c-span-spence-public-policy |url-status=dead }}</ref> Unique programming on the radio station includes [[oral history|oral histories]], and some committee meetings and press conferences not shown on television due to programming commitments. The station also compiles the [[Sunday morning talk shows]] for a same-day rebroadcast without commercials, in rapid succession.<ref name=Kaltenbach/>

===Online availability ===
[[File:C-SPAN Video Library.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.35|Home page of the C-SPAN Video Library, 2013]]
C-SPAN archival video is available through the [[C-SPAN Video Library]], maintained at the [[Purdue Research Park]] in [[West Lafayette, Indiana]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.c-spanvideo.org/about |title=About C-SPAN Video Library |work=c-span.org |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=June 4, 2011 |archive-date=December 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201222124353/http://www.c-spanvideo.org/about |url-status=dead }}</ref> Unveiled in August 2007,<ref name=Milestones/> the C-SPAN Video Library contains all of the network's programming since 1987, totaling more than 160,000 hours at its completion of digitization and public debut in March 2010.<ref name=Reynolds>{{Cite web |url=http://www.multichannel.com/article/457243-ACC_Awards_Golden_Beacon_To_C_SPAN_s_Video_Library.php |title=ACC Awards Golden Beacon To C-SPAN's Video Library |first=Mike |last=Reynolds |date=September 16, 2010 |work=multichannel.com |publisher=[[NewBay Media]] |access-date=September 27, 2010 |archive-date=July 25, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120725030353/http://www.multichannel.com/article/457243-ACC_Awards_Golden_Beacon_To_C_SPAN_s_Video_Library.php |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Early races for Congress may give forecast for November; C-SPAN presents |first=Chris|last=Cillizza |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=March 15, 2010 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/14/AR2010031402796.html |access-date=September 27, 2010}}</ref> Older C-SPAN programming continues to be added to the library, dating back to the beginning of the network in 1979,<ref name=Stelter>{{cite news |title=C-SPAN Puts Full Archives on the Web |first=Brian|last=Stelter |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 15, 2010 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/16/arts/television/16cspan.html |access-date=September 27, 2010}}</ref> and some limited earlier footage from the [[National Archives and Records Administration|National Archives]], such as film clips of [[Richard Nixon]]'s 1972 trip to China, is available as well.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gns.gannettonline.com/article/20100325/COLUMNISTS01/3250301 |title=Changing the way we view history |first=Chuck |last=Raasch |date=March 25, 2010 |work=gannettonline.com |publisher=[[Gannett Company|Gannett News Service Multimedia]] |access-date=September 27, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711072211/http://gns.gannettonline.com/article/20100325/COLUMNISTS01/3250301 |archive-date=July 11, 2011 }}</ref> Most of the recordings before 1987 (when the C-SPAN Archive was established) were not saved, except for approximately 10,000 hours of video which are slated to be made available online.<ref name=Stelter/> {{as of|2021|November|df=US}}, the C-SPAN Video Library held over 271,000 hours of programming, and they have been viewed over 253&nbsp;million times. Described by media commentators as a major educational service and a valuable resource for researchers of politics and history,<ref name=Stelter/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mediaite.com/online/c-span-online-archives-will-redefine-social-studies-education-in-america/ |title=C-SPAN Online Archives Will Redefine Social Studies Education in America |first=Frances|last=Martel |date=March 16, 2010 |work=mediaite.com |publisher=[[Mediaite]] |access-date=September 27, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21134540 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130129090138/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21134540/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 29, 2013 |title=C-SPAN Digital Archives |author=[[Brian Williams]] |date=September 24, 2010 |work=NBC News |publisher=[[NBCNews.com]] |access-date=September 27, 2010}}</ref> the C-SPAN Video Library has also had a major role in media and [[opposition research]] in several U.S. political campaigns.<ref>{{cite news |title=C-SPAN's blasts from the past |author=[[Howard Kurtz]] |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=September 23, 2010 |url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/howard-kurtz/2010/09/c-spans_blasts_from_the_past.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112215347/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/howard-kurtz/2010/09/c-spans_blasts_from_the_past.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 12, 2012 |access-date=September 27, 2010}}</ref> It won a [[Peabody Award]] in 2010 "for creating an enduring archive of the history of American policymaking, and for providing it as a free, user-friendly public service."<ref>[http://www.peabodyawards.com/award-profile/c-span-video-library 70th Annual Peabody Awards], May 2011.</ref>

Prior to the initiation of the C-SPAN Video Library, websites such as [[Metavid]] and voterwatch.org hosted House and Senate video records, however C-SPAN contested Metavid's usage of C-SPAN copyrighted footage. The result was Metavid's removal of portions of the archive produced with C-SPAN's cameras, while preserving its archive of government-produced content.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://metavid.ucsc.edu/wiki/index.php/Democratizing_the_Archive:_An_Open_Interface_for_Mediation#Motivations_for_Metavid_and_its_Contested_Legality |title=Democratizing the Archive: An Open Interface for Mediation |publisher=Metavid |access-date=October 12, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080605053154/http://metavid.ucsc.edu/wiki/index.php/Democratizing_the_Archive%3A_An_Open_Interface_for_Mediation |archive-date=June 5, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> C-SPAN also engaged in actions to stop parties from making unauthorized uses of its content online, including its video of House and Senate proceedings. Most notably, in May 2006, C-SPAN requested the removal of [[Stephen Colbert at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner|Stephen Colbert's performance]] at the [[White House Correspondents' Association#White House Correspondents' dinner|White House Correspondents' Association Dinner]] from [[YouTube]].<ref name=APColbert06>{{cite news |title=C-SPAN Asks Sites to Pull Colbert |url=https://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2006/05/70849 |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=May 8, 2006 |access-date=June 11, 2013}}</ref> After concerns by some webloggers,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.boingboing.net/2006/05/04/why_was_colbert_pres.html |title=Why was Colbert press corps video removed from YouTube? |work=boingboing.net |publisher=[[Boing Boing]] |author=[[Xeni Jardin]] |date=May 4, 2006 |access-date=October 12, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080709004329/http://www.boingboing.net/2006/05/04/why_was_colbert_pres.html |archive-date=July 9, 2008 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> C-SPAN gave permission for [[Google Video]] to host the full event.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/08/technology/08colbert.html |access-date=July 5, 2006 |title=A Comedian's Riff on Bush Prompts an E-Spat |first=Noam|last=Cohen |date=May 8, 2006 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> On March 7, 2007, C-SPAN liberalized its copyright policy for current, future, and past coverage of any official events sponsored by Congress and any federal agency and now allows for attributed non-commercial copying, sharing, and posting of C-SPAN video on the Internet,<ref name=Hunt07>{{cite news |title=C-SPAN alters copyright over Pelosi flap |first=Kaise|last=Hunt |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-03-07-1965288649_x.htm |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=March 7, 2007 |access-date=June 11, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://legacy.c-span.org/about/press/release.asp?code=video |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710020305/http://legacy.c-span.org/about/press/release.asp?code=video |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 10, 2012 |title=C-SPAN Takes Lead in Making Video of Congressional Hearings, White House and Other Federal Events More Widely Available to Online Community |work=c-span.org |publisher=C-SPAN |date=March 7, 2007 |access-date=March 22, 2011 }}</ref> excluding re-syndication of live video streams. The new policy did not affect the public's right to use the public domain video coverage of the floor proceedings of the U.S. House and Senate.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.c-span.org/About/C-SPAN-Copyright-Policy/ |title=Copyright Policy for Educators |work=c-span.org |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=March 22, 2011 |quote=The video coverage of the floor proceedings of the U.S. House of Representatives and of the U.S. Senate is public domain material and is not subject to this license, and as such, may also be used for educational purposes.}}</ref>

In 2008, C-SPAN's online political coverage was expanded just prior to the elections, with the introduction of three special pages on the C-SPAN website: the C-SPAN Convention Hubs and C-SPAN Debate Hub, which offered video of major events as well as discussion from weblogs and social media about the major party conventions and candidate debates.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nms.com/pressroom/entry/c-span-engages-new-media-strategies-for-innovative-online-convention-covera/ |title=C-SPAN Engages New Media Strategies for Innovative Online Convention Coverage |date=August 12, 2008 |work=nms.com |publisher=[[New Media Strategies]] |access-date=December 2, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810070530/http://nms.com/pressroom/entry/c-span-engages-new-media-strategies-for-innovative-online-convention-covera/ |archive-date=August 10, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/exclusive-c-span-launches-gadget-fueled-debate-hub-as-social-political-destination/ |title=EXCLUSIVE: C-SPAN Launches Gadget-Fueled 'Debate Hub' as Social, Political Destination |first=Andrew|last=Nusca |date=September 25, 2008 |work=[[ZDNet]] |access-date=December 3, 2010}}</ref> C-SPAN brought back the Convention Hub for the [[2012 United States presidential election|2012 presidential election]].<ref name=Fitzpatrick13>{{cite news |title=C-SPAN's Online Hub Provides Raw Convention Coverage |first=Alex|last=Fitzpatrick |url=http://mashable.com/2012/08/23/cspan-convention-hub/ |newspaper=[[Mashable]] |date=August 23, 2012 |access-date=June 19, 2013}}</ref>

In addition to the programming available in the C-SPAN Video Library, all C-SPAN programming is available as a live feed streamed on its website in [[Flash Video]] format.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.c-span.org/About/Solving-Video-Problems/ |title=Solving Video Problems |work=c-span.org |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=December 3, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101221043614/http://www.c-span.org/About/Solving-Video-Problems/ |archive-date=December 21, 2010 }}</ref>

On July 29, 2014, C-SPAN announced that it would begin [[TV Everywhere|restricting access to the live feeds]] of the main channel, C-SPAN2 and C-SPAN3 to subscribers of cable or satellite providers later that summer, citing concerns with the slow shift in viewing habits from cable television to the internet due to its reliance on carriage fees from cable and satellite providers. However, it will continue to allow all government meetings, hearings and conferences to be streamed live online and via archived on the C-SPAN Video Library without requiring an authenticated login by a provider; live audio feeds of all three channels are also available for free through the network's [[mobile app]]. The decision drew some criticism from public interest and government transparency advocates, citing the fact that C-SPAN was designed as a public service.<ref>{{cite news|title=C-SPAN to require TV subscription for some programs|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/07/29/cspan-live-streaming-subsctription/13315733/|first=Adam|last=Ganucheau|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|date=July 29, 2014|access-date=August 4, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=C-SPAN limiting access to its online channels|url=https://thehill.com/policy/technology/213714-c-span-limiting-access-to-its-online-channels/|first=Julian|last=Hattem|date=July 29, 2014|access-date=August 4, 2014}}</ref> {{As of|December 2019}}, C-SPAN has begun advertising on its online videos, with YouTube-style advertisements that can be skipped after five seconds.<ref>{{cite news|title=C-SPAN reworks its monetization model|url=https://www.nexttv.com/features/c-span-reworks-its-monetization-model/|first=John|last=Eggerton|newspaper=[[Multichannel News]]|date=October 19, 2020|access-date=December 9, 2020}}</ref>

==Organization and operations==
[[File:C-SPAN Leadership.jpg|left|thumb|Founder Brian Lamb (center) in 2012 with co-CEOs Rob Kennedy (left) and Susan Swain (right)]]
{{infobox organization
|name                      = National Cable Satellite Corporation
|headquarters              = [[Washington, D.C.]]
|employees                 = 282<ref name="C-SPAN's Mission">{{cite web|url=http://www.c-span.org/About/The-Company/Company-and-Mission/ |title=Company & Mission Statement |date=January 22, 2013 |work=c-span.org |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=January 25, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124201338/http://www.c-span.org/About/The-Company/Company-and-Mission/ |archive-date=January 24, 2013 }}</ref> or 337<ref name= 990-2013>"[http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments//2014/840/751/2014-840751854-0b0fbefa-9.pdf Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax]". ''National Cable Satellite Corporation''. [[Guidestar]]. March 31, 2014.</ref>
|employees_year            = 2013
|revenue                   = $73,244,854<ref name= 990-2013/>
|revenue_year              = 2014
|expenses                  = $63,409,586<ref name= 990-2013/>
|expenses_year             = 2014
|leader_name               = Brian Lamb<ref name= 990-2013/>
|leader_title              = [[Chairman]], [[President (corporation)|President]]
|tax_id                    = 84-0751854<ref name= 990-2013/>
|status                    = [[501(c)(3)]] nonprofit organization
|affiliations              = C-SPAN Education Foundation<ref name= 990-2013/>
|founded                   = {{start date and age|1978|11|14}}<ref name=corp>"[https://corp.dcra.dc.gov/BizEntity.aspx/ViewEntityData?entityId=2759034 National Cable Satellite Corporation]{{Dead link|date=December 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}". ''District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs''. Accessed on January 22, 2016.</ref>
|website                   = {{URL|c-span.org}}
}}
C-SPAN is operated by the National Cable Satellite Corporation, a [[nonprofit organization]].<ref name=Wallace/>  Early chairmen included [[Robert Rosencrans|Bob Rosencrans]], John Saeman, Ed Allen and Gene Schneider.<ref name=AboutBoard>{{cite web |url=http://legacy.c-span.org/about/company/index.asp?code=BOARD |title=The Board |work=c-span.org |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=December 7, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717181318/http://legacy.c-span.org/about/company/index.asp?code=BOARD |archive-date=July 17, 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

As a non-commercial public service, C-SPAN receives most of its funding from subscriber fees charged to cable and [[direct-broadcast satellite]] (DBS) operators.<ref name=AboutCompany>{{cite web |url=http://legacy.c-span.org/about/company/index.asp?code=MISSION |title=Company/Corporate Information |work=c-span.org |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=March 22, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717181144/http://legacy.c-span.org/about/company/index.asp?code=MISSION |archive-date=July 17, 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> {{as of|2012}}, C-SPAN received 6¢ of each subscriber's cable bill for an annual budget of $60&nbsp;million.<ref name=Touhey12>{{cite news |title=C-SPAN founder Brian Lamb starts new chapter in his life |first=Emmanuel|last=Touhey |url=https://thehill.com/capital-living/cover-stories/111102-c-span-founder-brian-lamb-starts-new-chapter-in-his-life/ |newspaper=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=April 10, 2012 |access-date=June 11, 2013}}</ref> C-SPAN began airing internet commercials early in 2021 and now sells C-SPAN merchandise.

As the network is an independent entity, neither the cable industry nor Congress controls the content of its programming.<ref name="Gillespie"/>

{{As of|2013|1}}, the network has 282<ref name="C-SPAN's Mission"/> or 337<ref name = 990-2013/> employees. C-SPAN has for many years led by co-CEOs [[Rob Kennedy]] and [[Susan Swain]]. Founder and former CEO Brian Lamb serves as the executive chairman of the board of directors.<ref name="BrianStelter">{{cite news |title=C-Span Founder to Step Down as Chief Executive |first=Brian|last=Stelter |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/19/business/media/c-span-founder-brian-lamb-to-step-down-as-ceo.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 18, 2012 |access-date=February 13, 2013}}</ref> 

On May 14, 2024, the C-SPAN board of directors announced that longtime [[CNN]] executive Sam Feist would become the new CEO. This announcement followed a national search initiated after Swain and Kennedy announced they would be retiring. Swain will stay on as CEO until Feist officially begins his duties in the summer of 2024.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/2024/05/14/sam-feist-cspan-ceo-cnn/ | title=Sam Feist, longtime CNN executive, will become CEO of CSPAN | author=Jeremy Barr | newspaper=[[Washington Post]] | date=May 14, 2024}}</ref>

The majority of C-SPAN's employees are based at C-SPAN's headquarters located on [[Capitol Hill]] in Washington, D.C. In 2003 television studios were opened in [[New York City]] and [[Denver, Colorado]]. These studios use digital equipment that can be controlled from Washington.<ref name=Barnhart/>

C-SPAN also maintains [[archives]] in [[West Lafayette, Indiana]], at the Purdue Research Park under the direction of [[Robert X. Browning]].<ref name=Harden/>

==Audience==
The C-SPAN networks are available in more than 100&nbsp;million households {{As of|2010|lc=y}}, not including access to the C-SPAN websites.<ref name=Harrington>{{cite news |title=C-SPAN: TV's Political Insider in Washington |author=Linda M. Harrington |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1993/10/31/c-span-tvs-political-insider-in-washington/ |date=October 31, 1993 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref><ref name=Bedard>{{cite web |url=http://politics.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2010/06/22/brian-lamb-c-span-now-reaches-100-million-homes.html |title=Brian Lamb: C-SPAN Now Reaches 100 Million Homes |first=Paul|last=Bedard |date=June 22, 2010 |work=usnews.com |publisher=[[U.S. News & World Report]] |access-date=November 22, 2010}}</ref> More than 7,000 telephone callers have participated with discussion on ''Washington Journal'' {{As of|2009|3|18|lc=y |df=US}}.<ref name =Miller>{{cite news |title=C-SPAN Marks 30 Years of Riveting Television |first=Tricia|last=Miller |newspaper=[[Roll Call]] |location=Washington, D.C. |date=March 18, 2009 |url=http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_104/-33228-1.html |access-date=February 8, 2011}}</ref> There are no official viewing statistics for C-SPAN because the network, which has no commercials or underwriting advertisements, does not use the [[Nielsen ratings]].<ref name=Harden/> However, there have been a number of surveys providing estimates:
* A 1994 survey found that 8.6% of the U.S. population regularly watched C-SPAN.<ref name=Harden/>
* In 2004 this figure increased to 12% of the U.S. population, according to a [[Pew Research Center]] survey, while 31% of the population was categorized as occasional viewers.<ref name=Marcus/> More than 28&nbsp;million people said they watched C-SPAN programming each week.<ref name=Wallace/>
* A March 2009 [[Peter D. Hart|Hart Research]] survey found that 20% of homes with cable television watch C-SPAN at least once a week, for an estimated 39&nbsp;million Americans.<ref name=C-SPAN>{{cite web |url=http://legacy.c-span.org/30Years/media-release.aspx#30years |title=Marking 30 years. Covering Washington like no other. |date=March 19, 2009 |work=c-span.org |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=March 22, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110819230432/http://legacy.c-span.org/30Years/media-release.aspx#30years |archive-date=August 19, 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>
* A 2010 poll conducted by C-SPAN and [[Penn Schoen Berland]] estimates that 79&nbsp;million adults in the U.S. watched C-SPAN at some time from 2009 to 2010.<ref name=CSPAN>{{cite web|url=http://www.c-span.org/PDF/C-SPANHouseAccessibilityPollPressRelease.pdf |title=American Voters Suggest How to Make Congress More Accessible |date=November 17, 2010 |work=c-span.org |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=November 22, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101128122005/http://www.c-span.org/PDF/C-SPANHouseAccessibilityPollPressRelease.pdf |archive-date=November 28, 2010 }}</ref>
* In January 2013, Hart Research conducted another survey which showed that 47&nbsp;million adults, or 24% of adults with access to cable television, watch C-SPAN weekly.<ref name="JohnEggerton">{{cite news |title=Exclusive: C-SPAN Study Finds Almost Quarter of Cable/Satellite Subs Watch Weekly Audience is up 4% since last Hart Research survey |first=John|last=Eggerton |url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/492404-Exclusive_C_SPAN_Study_Finds_Almost_Quarter_of_Cable_Satellite_Subs_Watch_Weekly.php |newspaper=[[Broadcasting & Cable]] |date=March 19, 2013 |access-date=March 22, 2013}}</ref><ref name="JenniferHarper">{{cite news |title=C-SPAN the emerging hipster network: its audience 'trends young' |first=Jennifer|last=Harper |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/watercooler/2013/mar/19/c-span-emerging-hipster-network-its-audience-trend/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Times]] |date=March 19, 2013 |access-date=March 22, 2013}}</ref> Of the 47&nbsp;million regular C-SPAN viewers, 51% are male and 49% female; 26% are liberal, 31% conservative, and 39% moderate. About half are college graduates. 28% of 18-to-49-year-olds report watching at least once a week, as do 19% of 50- to 64-year-olds, and 22% of those over age 65.<ref name="JenniferHarper"/>
*In February 2017, Ipsos Audience conducted another survey which showed that 70&nbsp;million adults, or 36% of adults with access to cable television, watch C-SPAN on a given six-month period. Of the 70&nbsp;million regular C-SPAN viewers, 52% are male and 48% female; 25% are [[Western United States|West]] viewers, 22% [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]], 20% [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]] and 33% [[Southern United States|South]]. 28% identified themselves as liberal, 27% conservative, and 36% moderate. 51% of all viewers are 18–44 years old.

==Public and media opinion==
C-SPAN's public service nature has been praised as an enduring contribution to national knowledge.<ref name=Osnos>{{cite news |title=Washington's longest-running reality show |first=Peter |last=Osnos |author-link=Peter Osnos |newspaper=[[The Daily Beast]] |date=March 31, 2009 |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-03-31/washingtons-longest-running-reality-show/ |access-date=February 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100328014904/http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-03-31/washingtons-longest-running-reality-show |archive-date=March 28, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1987, [[Andrew Rosenthal]] wrote for ''[[The New York Times]]'' about C-SPAN's influence in political elections, arguing that C-SPAN's "blanket coverage" had expanded television journalism "into areas once shielded from general view".<ref name=Rosenthal87>{{cite news |title=C-SPAN's Spotlight Brings Quiet Corners of Campaigning into View |first=Andrew|last=Rosenthal |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/10/22/us/c-span-s-spotlight-brings-quiet-corners-of-campaigning-into-view.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 22, 1987 |access-date=June 11, 2013}}</ref> The network has received positive media coverage for providing public access to proceedings such as the [[Goldman Sachs]] Senate hearings,<ref name=Zurawik>{{cite web |url=http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/zontv/2010/04/senate_hearings_goldman_sachs.html |title=Goldman Sachs hearings: C-SPAN delivers again |first=David|last=Zurawik |date=April 27, 2010 |work=baltimoresun.com |department=Z on TV |publisher=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |access-date=December 14, 2010}}</ref> and the U.S. 2010 Healthcare Summit,<ref name=Heffernan>{{cite web |url=http://www.esquire.com/blogs/endorsement/healthcare-summit-live-cspan-022510#ixzz17XTwfw43 |title=C-SPAN: Where Health Care (and Everything Else) Gets Debated Daily |first=Tim|last=Heffernan |date=February 25, 2010 |work=esquire.com |department=The Daily Endorsement |publisher=[[Hearst Corporation|Hearst Communications]] |access-date=December 14, 2010}}</ref> while its everyday programming has been credited with providing the media and the general public with an intimate knowledge of U.S. political proceedings and people.<ref name=Heffernan/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://qanda.org/Transcript/?ProgramID=1054 |title=Randi Rhodes |date=December 18, 2005 |work=qanda.org |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=December 13, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720131511/http://qanda.org/Transcript/?ProgramID=1054 |archive-date=July 20, 2011 }}</ref><ref name=Corn>{{cite web |url=http://www.thenation.com/blog/156075/happy-birthday-c-span |title=Happy Birthday, C-SPAN! |author=[[David Corn]] |date=March 11, 2004 |work=thenation.com |publisher=[[The Nation]] |department=Capital Games |access-date=December 14, 2010}}</ref> The ability of C-SPAN to provide this service without federal funding, advertising or soliciting viewer contributions has been remarked by local newspapers and online news services, with the ''[[Daily Beast]]'' terming C-SPAN's $55&nbsp;million annual budget (in 2009), "an astounding bargain."<ref name=Osnos/><ref>{{cite news |title=It's a fittingly quiet birthday for C-SPAN |first=John|last=Rash |newspaper=[[Minneapolis Star Tribune]] |date=March 20, 2009 |url=http://www.startribune.com/opinion/41533482.html??elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUsZ
|access-date=February 8, 2011}}</ref> In an article on the 25th anniversary of the network, ''[[The Washington Post]]'' noted that C-SPAN's programming has been copied by television networks worldwide and credits the network with providing information about foreign politics to American viewers.<ref name=Reid>{{cite news |title=C-SPAN Gauged 25 Years After Start |author=[[T.R. Reid]] |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=875&dat=20040321&id=i249AAAAIBAJ&pg=2777,5936560 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=March 18, 2004 |page=A21 |access-date=December 14, 2010}}</ref> According to ''The New York Times'', C-SPAN's mission to record official events in Washington, D.C., makes it "one of a kind", particularly in the creation of the C-SPAN Video Library, which received significant press coverage.<ref name=Stelter/><ref name=Reynolds/>

Despite its stated commitment to providing politically balanced programming, C-SPAN and its shows such as ''Washington Journal'', ''Booknotes'', ''Q & A'', and ''After Words'' have been accused by some liberal organizations of having a conservative bias.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cepr.net/documents/publications/1207_cspan.pdf  |title=Tilting Rightward: C-SPAN's Coverage of Think Tanks |first=Juan|last=Montecino |author2=Mark Weisbrot |date=December 2007 |work=cepr.net |publisher=[[Center for Economic and Policy Research]] |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref> In 2005, the media criticism organization [[Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting]] (FAIR) released a study of C-SPAN's morning telephone call-in show ''Washington Journal''. In their six-month sample of guests, they identified 32 as "right-of-center" and 19 as "left-of-center"; they also noted [[people of color]] are underrepresented at 15% of the guest list.<ref name=Fair05>{{cite web |url=http://fair.org/take-action/action-alerts/c-span-slanting-right/ |title=C-SPAN Slanting Right |date=December 19, 2005 |work=fair.org |publisher=[[Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting]] |access-date=June 5, 2013}}</ref> A 2007 survey released by the think tank [[Center for Economic and Policy Research]] reported that C-SPAN covered conservative [[think tank]]s more than left-of-center think tanks.<ref name=Harper07>{{cite news |title=Tanks numbers |first=Jennifer|last=Harper |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=4RD4-12M0-TWCW-40BD&csi=8176&oc=00240&perma=true |newspaper=[[The Washington Times]] |date=December 20, 2007 |access-date=June 11, 2013}}</ref>

==Other services==
[[File:C-SPAN Bus 2012.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.35|C-SPAN Digital Bus, which tours the U.S. educating the public about C-SPAN resources]]
C-SPAN offers a number of public services related to the network's public affairs programming. C-SPAN Classroom, a free membership service for teachers, began in July 1987 and offers help using C-SPAN resources for classes or research.<ref name="TWP"/> The [[C-SPAN School Bus]], introduced in November 1993, traveled around the U.S. educating the public about government and politics using C-SPAN resources, and served as a mobile television studio. The bus also recorded video footage of the places that it visited.<ref name=Schlosse>{{cite news |title=C-SPAN Carries Political Lessons Across Highways |first=Jim|last=Schlosse |newspaper=[[News & Record]] |location=Guilford County, North Carolina |page=B1 |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=3SD5-VXD0-0094-942S&csi=144567&oc=00240&perma=true |date=March 9, 1995 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref> A second bus was introduced in 1996. The two original buses were retired in 2010,<ref>{{cite web|title=C – SPAN Launches New C – SPAN Digital Bus and C – SPAN Local Content Vehicle |url=http://www.c-span.org/pdf/BusLCV_060810.pdf |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=September 3, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130610000414/http://www.c-span.org/pdf/BusLCV_060810.pdf |archive-date=June 10, 2013 }}</ref> and the C-SPAN Digital Bus was inaugurated, introducing the public to C-SPAN's enhanced digital products.<ref name=Shayon>{{cite web |url=http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2010/06/22/Foursquare-CSPAN-Digital-Bus.aspx |title=Foursquare Checks into Politics With C-SPAN |first=Sheila |last=Shayon |date=June 22, 2010 |work=Brandchannel.com |publisher=Brandchannel |access-date=November 22, 2010 |archive-date=September 20, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130920034257/http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2010/06/22/Foursquare-CSPAN-Digital-Bus.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> C-SPAN has also equipped six Local Content Vehicles (LCVs) to travel the country and record unique political and historical stories, with each vehicle containing production and web-based technologies to produce on-the-spot content.<ref name=Tucker>{{cite news |title=How C-SPAN Manages A Cross-Country Fleet |first=Joanne|last=Tucker |url=http://www.businessfleet.com/article/story/2013/07/how-c-span-manages-a-cross-country-fleet.aspx?prestitial=1 |newspaper=Business Fleet |date=July 2013 |access-date=October 7, 2013}}</ref><ref name=Rothstein13>{{cite web |url=http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowldc/c-span-second-fleet-local-content-vehicles_b98692 |title=C-SPAN Rolls Out Second Fleet of Tricked Out Vehicles |first=Betsy |last=Rothstein |date=March 12, 2013 |work=mediabistro.com |access-date=October 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329080251/http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowldc/c-span-second-fleet-local-content-vehicles_b98692 |archive-date=March 29, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

C-SPAN has published ten books based on its programming; these contain original material and text taken from interview transcripts. The first C-SPAN book, ''C-SPAN: America's Town Hall'', was published in 1988.<ref name="Shales"/> Other C-SPAN books include: ''Gavel to Gavel: A C-SPAN Guide to Congress'';<ref name=GavelBook>{{cite book |title=Gavel to Gavel: A C-SPAN Guide to Congress |author=C-SPAN |year=1999 |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |isbn=0-8018-6111-X |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DZAiAAAACAAJ |access-date=October 16, 2013}}</ref> ''Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb?'', a guide to the grave sites of U.S. presidents;<ref>{{cite book |title=Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb? |first=Brian|last=Lamb |author-link=Brian Lamb |author2=C-SPAN staff |year=2010 |publisher=PublicAffairs |isbn=978-1-58648-869-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vq3Yul3zspcC}}</ref> ''Abraham Lincoln - Great American Historians On Our Sixteenth President'', a collection of essays based on C-SPAN interviews with American historians;<ref>{{cite book |title=Abraham Lincoln: Great American Historians on Our Sixteenth President |editor1-last=Lamb |editor1-first=Brian |editor1-link=Brian Lamb |editor2-last=Swain |editor2-first=Susan |year=2010 |publisher=PublicAffairs |isbn=978-1-58648-774-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=esP8jd0x9icC}}</ref> and ''The Supreme Court'', which features biographies and interviews with past Supreme Court judges together with commentary from legal experts.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Supreme Court: A C-SPAN Book, Featuring the Justices in their Own Words |editor1-last=Lamb |editor1-first=Brian |editor1-link=Brian Lamb |editor2-last=Swain |editor2-first=Susan |editor3-last=Farkas |editor3-first=Mark |year=2011 |publisher=PublicAffairs |isbn=978-1-58648-835-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9zoiQTCCaVUC }}</ref> Five books have been drawn from the former ''Booknotes'' program: ''Booknotes: Life Stories'';<ref name=Biffle>{{cite news |title=The Last Author of One Last Book For One Final Hour |first=Tony|last=Biffle |newspaper=[[The Sun Herald]] |location=Biloxi, Mississippi |page=B11 |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=4H1T-JKP0-0190-K3XX&csi=247810&oc=00240&perma=true |date=December 5, 2004 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref> ''Booknotes: On American Character'';<ref name=LambBooknotes2005>{{cite book |title=Booknotes: On American Character |first=Brian|last=Lamb |author-link=Brian Lamb |year=2005 |publisher=PublicAffairs |isbn=1-58648-342-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/booknotesonameri00lamb |url-access=registration |quote=Booknotes: On AMerican Character. |access-date=October 16, 2013}}</ref> ''Booknotes: Stories from American History'';<ref name=LambBooknotes2001>{{cite book |title=Booknotes: Stories from American History |first=Brian|last=Lamb |author-link=Brian Lamb |year=2001 |publisher=PublicAffairs |isbn=1-58648-083-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/booknotesstories00lamb |url-access=registration |quote=Booknotes: Stories from American History. |access-date=October 16, 2013}}</ref> ''Booknotes: America's Finest Authors on Reading, Writing and the Power of Ideas'', the latter a compilation of short monologues taken from the transcripts of Lamb's interviews;<ref name=Heltzel/> and a companion book to the series on Tocqueville, ''Traveling Tocqueville's America: A Tour Book''.<ref>{{cite book |title=Traveling Tocqueville's America: A Tour Book |author=C-SPAN |year=1998 |publisher=[[Johns Hopkins University Press]] |isbn=0-8018-5966-2 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/travelingtocquev0000unse}}</ref>

==Prank calls and obscenities==
Due to the open phone lines on ''Washington Journal'', C-SPAN has been noted to have a tradition of [[prank calls]].<ref name="Holmes 2015">{{cite web | last=Holmes | first=Jack | title=C-SPAN Caller Asks If He Can Sh*t in Congressman's Mouth | website=Esquire | date=2015-12-17 | url=https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/videos/a40594/cspan-caller-shit-in-your-mouth-dave-brat/ | access-date=2023-11-14}}</ref><ref name="The Salt Lake Tribune 2018">{{cite web | title=As C-SPAN's bus hits Salt Lake City, here are the top 10 things you didn't know about the public affairs network | website=The Salt Lake Tribune | date=2018-04-25 | url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2018/04/25/as-c-spans-bus-hits-salt-lake-city-here-are-the-top-10-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-public-affairs-network/ | access-date=2023-11-14}}</ref><ref name="Kirby 2020">{{cite web | last=Kirby | first=Jen | title=Why C-SPAN's quirky call-in show has endured for 40 years | website=Vox | date=2020-02-12 | url=https://www.vox.com/2020/2/12/21076183/c-span-callers-history-washington-journal | access-date=2023-11-14}}</ref> Calls have ranged from crude jokes about [[Howard Stern]] and [[Bababooey]] to racist tirades against [[Martin Luther King&nbsp;Jr]] and questions regarding the size of [[Mitt Romney]]'s penis.<ref name="HuffPost 2012">{{cite web | title=C-SPAN Prank Callers Ask Lewd Questions About Mitt Romney | website=HuffPost | date=2012-01-12 | url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mitt-romney-penis-c-span-questions-prank-callers_n_1202524 | access-date=2023-11-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Ultimate C-SPAN Prank Call Compilation|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tsq1P-U7wD8|website=YouTube|access-date=January 15, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?c3584039/user-clip-howard-stern-call-3|title=User Clip: Howard Stern Prank Call #3 &#124; C-SPAN.org|website=www.c-span.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thewrap.com/c-span-flooded-with-racist-phone-calls-on-50th-anniversary-of-mlk-death/ | title=C-SPAN Flooded with Racist Phone Calls on 50th Anniversary of MLK Death (Video) | date=April 4, 2018 }}</ref> One particularly well-known instance happened in 2015, when during a segment on the [[Iran nuclear deal framework]], a man calling himself Jack Strickland called in claiming to be from [[Bel-Air, California]], before promptly reciting the theme song of ''[[The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air]]'' TV show.<ref name="Schwarz 2015">{{cite news | last=Schwarz | first=Hunter | title=The 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' called into C-SPAN. And it was terrific. | newspaper=Washington Post | date=2015-03-19 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/03/18/the-fresh-prince-of-bel-air-called-into-c-span-today-and-it-was-terrific/ | access-date=2023-11-14}}</ref> Obscenities have also made it into broadcasts, such as in 2014 where a caller referred to President [[Barack Obama]] as a [[racial slur]] before being kicked off the air.<ref name="Gold 1970">{{cite web | last=Gold | first=Hadas | title=Caller drops N-word on C-SPAN | website=POLITICO | date=2014-11-06 | url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2014/11/caller-drops-n-word-on-c-span-198362 | access-date=2023-11-14}}</ref> The network implemented a 3-second [[broadcast delay]] in 2016 to combat these types of calls.<ref name="Borchers 2016">{{cite news | last=Borchers | first=Callum | title=A brief history of obscenities on C-SPAN, in honor of the new 3-second delay | newspaper=Washington Post | date=2016-08-29 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/08/29/a-brief-history-of-obscenities-on-c-span-in-honor-of-the-new-3-second-delay/ | access-date=2023-11-14}}</ref>

==Publications==
* [https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED393737.pdf ''Educators' Guide: Teaching Critical Thinking in the Classroom''] (1995). Washington, DC: National Cable Satellite Corp. [https://www.c-span.org/classroom/ C-SPAN in the Classroom Series.]
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=DZAiAAAACAAJ ''Gavel to Gavel: A C-SPAN Guide to Congress''] (1999). Baltimore: [[Johns Hopkins University Press]]. {{ISBN|978-0-8018-6111-6}}.

== See also ==
* [[Public, educational, and government access]]
* [[Legislature broadcaster]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|35em}}

== External links ==
{{sister project links|d=Q1022311|c=Category:C-SPAN|n=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|s=no|species=no|wikt=no|q=no}}
{{Portal|Television|United States|Politics}}
* {{Official website}}
* [https://www.c-span.org/about/pressCenter/ Recent media coverage] at C-SPAN
* [https://scrc.gmu.edu/finding_aids/cspan.html C-SPAN records repository] at [[George Mason University]]

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