The C-SPAN Revolution

Newt Gingrich on The C-SPAN Revolution: "More than just another choice on the television, C-SPAN is a cultural force that has transformed the concept of participatory democracy. A clear two-way window into the world of politics, the network offers elected officials, candidates, and most importantly, individuals the opportunity to share ideas in a broader and more enlightening manner than is permitted in a simple thirty-second soundbite.

"As members of Congress are reminded daily that the institution represents the nation as much as each Member represents a single district, Congress becomes more accountable. C-SPAN has brought the legislative branch to a level of public awareness previously reserved for the executive.

"Stephen Frantzich and John Sullivan' s The C-SPAN Revolution is an engaging and richly detailed examination of the early days and evolving success of what has become an essential information resource".

Beginning in 1979, C-SPAN (the Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network) has offered gavel-to-gavel, unedited coverage of public events in the United States. The first history of this unique network, Stephen Frantzich and John Sullivan's book offers a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at C-SPAN's evolution, operations, and impact on public affairs in the United States.

According to Frantzich and Sullivan, C-SPAN is important because it has redefined and expanded the role of television in the late twentieth century. When Brian Lamb and his supporters in the cable industry founded C-SPAN, their mission was a radical one: to shift the emphasis in television from entertainment to information and education. With the particular goal of making the business of governmentaccessible to the public, the creators of C-SPAN initiated the first broadcasts of entire sessions of Congress. Almost from the outset, the network opened its phone lines to allow citizens to talk directly to legislators, party leaders, and members of the press. In time, C-SPAN would expand its programming to include coverage of House and Senate committee meetings, foreign legislature sessions, and on-the-road presidential campaigns.

Because it covers politics more than other networks, C-SPAN has influenced the careers of prominent politicians. Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Newt Gingrich, and Ross Perot have all taken advantage of C-SPAN's spotlight to further their careers. Other political figures -- such as Joseph Biden, Tip O'Neill, and Jim Wright -- have suffered political wounds because of C-SPAN's exposure.

Frantzich and Sullivan acknowledge a possible downside to C-SPAN's information-oriented programming: As the public has become inundated with information, it has grown more cynical and distrustful of the system. However, the authors believe the network's benefits outweigh its defects; not only does C-SPAN foster a better-informed citizenry, its unedited format allows citizens to form their own opinions about what they see.

Based on more than one hundred interviews and a variety of sources from both the print and visual media, "The C-SPAN Revolution" at once depicts the inner workings of a unique television network and the emergence of television as a dominant factor in the American political scene.