Bio

C-SPAN (Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network), created in 1979 as a private, non-profit service of the cable industry, is a network dedicated to 24-hour a day public affairs programming. Via live, gavel-to-gavel coverage of both houses of Congress, the network's mission is to, according to its website, "air unedited, balanced views of government and public policy forums, and to provide viewers with direct access to elected officials, decision-makers, and journalists." Whenever Congress is not in session, C-SPAN provides coverage of a variety of public affairs events. Speeches, news conferences, forums, seminars, government committee meetings and hearings in Washington, D.C. and beyond are some of the events covered by the network. The coordination of event coverage is the responsibility of C-SPAN's assignment desk, which is best reached by email. The assignment desk consists of several editors, each of whom is responsible for keeping track of events going on in a particular geographic location. One editor follows events on Capitol Hill, while another editor monitors events happening elsewhere in Washington, D.C., and another follows events nationwide. Editors are alerted about events primarily through emails, as well as telephone invitations, and mailed notices. Assignment editors also spend several hours each day on the phone, actively seeking out other events for possible coverage, and monitoring any updates in daybooks and event scheduling. By mid-afternoon, each editor has developed a comprehensive list of events taking place in his or her area the next day. At around 3pm ET, the assignment editors meet with representatives of C-SPAN's editorial departments to determine which events the network will cover the next day. C-SPAN notes that it cannot cover every event the assignment desk learns about.