C-SPAN, the Cable Satellite Public Affairs Network, is located in Washington, DC, one block from the Capitol. The cable television industry created C-SPAN in 1979 to provide live, gavel-to-gavel coverage of the US House of Representatives. In 1986, C-SPAN2 was launched to provide corresponding coverage of the US Senate. C-SPAN3, launched in 1997, provides additional public affairs programming to digital TV customers. Since then, C-SPAN's programming has broadened to include in-depth coverage of the federal government's executive and judicial branches, national and international public affairs events and extensive coverage of campaigns and elections. In 1993, C-SPAN created
C-SPAN.org as a comprehensive online resource for public affairs information, and in 1998 Book TV, devoted to exploring the world of nonfiction, was launched on C-SPAN2.
Providing unedited and balanced access to public affairs is still our main goal. The network offers viewers an opportunity to see public policy events as they happen, often in their entirety and without any commentary from us. Our philosophy is unique: we allow viewers to judge events for themselves and to critically assess current issues.
Today, C-SPAN is available in more than 100 million cable and satellite homes.
