C-SPAN Channel
Founded: March, 1979
Parent Company: National Cable Satellite Corporation
Tagline: Your unfiltered view of government
Website: C-SPAN.org
If you know your filibuster from financial reform and enjoy watching the process unfold, C-SPAN is your ticket to the political wranglings. Almost always paired with its sister-channel C-SPAN 2, the combo give both the novice and hardened political scientist plenty to debate about. An acronym standing for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, it first came on the scene in 1979 when an upswell of political controversy and need for oversight came to a head. With the public at-large now watching, politicians were suddenly held to a higher standard. Conv, .
C-SPAN broadcasts live and recorded congressional/senatorial hearings (C-SPAN primarily covers the Senate while C-SPAN 2 features the House of Representatives). Whether it's a legislative vote or an impeachment hearing, it's always the go-to source for unfiltered coverage, free of the biased commentary from the nightly news programs. To that end, there's really no commentary on most of C-SPAN's shows, it's mostly dry scheduling updates, usually by voice-over or on-screen graphics. One of their few opinionated original programs is Washington Journal. It's essentially a new recap show with key interviews. Overall, though, C-SPAN is one of the last bastions of unfiltered political discourse...and thank goodness for it.
C-SPAN Programming & Shows
Original Series: Washington Journal, Newsmakers, In Depth, etc.
Reruns: re-broadcasts of Senatorial hearings
