C-SPAN
C-SPAN, which originally stood for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, was the first United States cable television network dedicated to 24 hour-a-day coverage to national government and public affairs. C-SPAN often will show live sessions of the U.S. House of Representatives while in progress; this coverage is referred to as "gavel to gavel".Brian Lamb, C-SPAN's Chairman & CEO, conceived of C-SPAN while working at the Cablevision company. It was created as a cable-industry financed, non-profit network for televising sessions of Congress. It receives no funding from any government source and does not sell sponsorships or advertising. Its coverage of public affairs is widely cited for its lack of bias.
C-SPAN first went on the air March 19, 1979. C-SPAN 2, a spinoff network, covers live sessions of the U.S. Senate and went on the air in 1986. Since 1979, the cable industry has spent US $230 million to operate the networks.
Past chairmen include:
- Bob Rosencrans
- John Saeman
- Ed Allen
- Gene Schneider
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