C-SPAN Video Library
Encyclopedia
C-SPAN Video Library is the audio and video streaming
website of C-SPAN
, the American
legislative broadcaster
. The site offers a complete, freely accessible archive
going back to 1987. It was launched in March 2010.
C-SPAN was launched in 1979 but has limited archived material from its early years. When the site was launched in 2010 its director Robert X. Browning
said 10,000 hours of tapes from 1979 to 1987 were slated for restoration, digitization, and addition.
Congressional Chronicle is a section with searchable transcripts of House and Senate floor debates and pages for current and past members of Congress, with biographies, voting records, campaign finance records, and a timeline of House and Senate sessions. The site also provides episodes of Book TV
and Booknotes
, its now discontinued series of author interviews. In addition to C-SPAN programming, the site provides access to certain historic videos from the National Archives
, such as video from President Nixon's 1972 trip to China
.
s and opposition
researchers have used the site to locate past statements by politicians. Three sources used it to locate clips and information about Christine O'Donnell
during her failed 2010 Senate bid
.
Political commentator Rachel Maddow
is a prominent fan of the site. She said having access was "like being able to Google political history using the ‘I Feel Lucky’ button every time." Mediaite
columnist Frances Martel called it "a landmark in government transparency" and said it was valuable for historical research.
In September 2010, the site was awarded the Golden Beacon by the Association of Cable Communicators, and in March 2011 it was recognized with a Peabody Award
.
's Purdue Research Park
in West Lafayette, Indiana
. However, prior to the Video Library's launch, C-SPAN's archived programming was only available to the public via videocassette and DVD
purchase from C-SPAN; with the approval of the network's board of cable industry executives, the online archive was developed to make C-SPAN content more immediately accessible. The C-SPAN Video Library debuted unofficially in August 2007, with hosted video streaming and limited search tools. The following year, C-SPAN added an embeddable player to the Video Library's website. The full archive officially launched March 17, 2010, upon completion of a multi-year project that digitized C-SPAN programming from 1987 onward.
Streaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
website of C-SPAN
C-SPAN
C-SPAN , an acronym for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, is an American cable television network that offers coverage of federal government proceedings and other public affairs programming via its three television channels , one radio station and a group of websites that provide streaming...
, the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
legislative broadcaster
Legislature broadcaster
A legislature broadcaster is a broadcaster, a television channel or a radio station that mainly broadcasts sound or video from the legislature and other parliamentary chambers such as parliamentary commissions in a city, state or in a country....
. The site offers a complete, freely accessible archive
Archive
An archive is a collection of historical records, or the physical place they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization's lifetime, and are kept to show the function of an organization...
going back to 1987. It was launched in March 2010.
Available content
The site provides access to C-SPAN's collection of Congressional proceedings and other political and public affairs programming, including complete archives dating back to 1987. Content is searchable and browsable by program, topics, date, and speaker. At its launch in 2010, the site offered 160,000 hours of archived programming. New programming is archived shortly after broadcast.C-SPAN was launched in 1979 but has limited archived material from its early years. When the site was launched in 2010 its director Robert X. Browning
Robert X. Browning
Robert X. Browning is a professor at Purdue University and head of the C-SPAN archives in West Lafayette, IN. He earned his B.S. from Marquette University in 1972, his M.A. in Public Administration from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1977, his M.A. in Political Science from the University...
said 10,000 hours of tapes from 1979 to 1987 were slated for restoration, digitization, and addition.
Congressional Chronicle is a section with searchable transcripts of House and Senate floor debates and pages for current and past members of Congress, with biographies, voting records, campaign finance records, and a timeline of House and Senate sessions. The site also provides episodes of Book TV
Book TV
Book TV is the name given to weekend programming on the American cable network C-SPAN2 airing from 8 a.m. Eastern Time Saturday morning to 8 a.m. Eastern Time Monday morning each week. The 48 hour block of programming is focused on non-fiction books and authors, featuring programs in the format of...
and Booknotes
Booknotes
Booknotes is an American television series on the C-SPAN network hosted by Brian Lamb, which originally aired from 1989 to 2004. The format of the show is a one-hour, one-on-one interview with a non-fiction author. The series was broadcast at 8 p.m. Eastern Time each Sunday night, and was the...
, its now discontinued series of author interviews. In addition to C-SPAN programming, the site provides access to certain historic videos from the National Archives
National Archives and Records Administration
The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent agency of the United States government charged with preserving and documenting government and historical records and with increasing public access to those documents, which comprise the National Archives...
, such as video from President Nixon's 1972 trip to China
1972 Nixon visit to China
U.S. President Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to the People's Republic of China was an important step in formally normalizing relations between the United States and the People's Republic of China. It marked the first time a U.S. president had visited the PRC, who at that time considered the U.S. one...
.
Recognition
JournalistJournalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
s and opposition
Opposition (politics)
In politics, the opposition comprises one or more political parties or other organized groups that are opposed to the government , party or group in political control of a city, region, state or country...
researchers have used the site to locate past statements by politicians. Three sources used it to locate clips and information about Christine O'Donnell
Christine O'Donnell
Christine Therese O'Donnell is an American Republican Party politician who founded two advocacy organizations. She has been an advocate for nonprofit clients and nonprofit causes for nearly 20 years. A Tea Party favorite, and with strong financial support from the Tea Party movement, she defeated...
during her failed 2010 Senate bid
United States Senate special election in Delaware, 2010
The 2010 United States Senate special election in Delaware took place on November 2, 2010 concurrently with elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. It was a special election to...
.
Political commentator Rachel Maddow
Rachel Maddow
Rachel Anne Maddow is an American television host and political commentator. Maddow hosts a nightly television show, The Rachel Maddow Show, on MSNBC. Her syndicated talk radio program, The Rachel Maddow Show, aired on Air America Radio...
is a prominent fan of the site. She said having access was "like being able to Google political history using the ‘I Feel Lucky’ button every time." Mediaite
Mediaite
Mediaite is a news and opinion blog covering politics and entertainment in the media industry as well as other issues. It is the flagship blog of Abrams Media, a ring of blogs run by ABC legal analyst Dan Abrams and also featuring Gossip Cop, Geekosystem, Styleite, Sports Grid, The Mary Sue and...
columnist Frances Martel called it "a landmark in government transparency" and said it was valuable for historical research.
In September 2010, the site was awarded the Golden Beacon by the Association of Cable Communicators, and in March 2011 it was recognized with a Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
.
History
C-SPAN has recorded and catalogued its coverage of Congress and other public affairs programming since the establishment of the C-SPAN Archives in 1987 at Purdue UniversityPurdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
's Purdue Research Park
Purdue Research Park
The Purdue Research Parks are a network of four research parks located in Indiana, United States. The flagship West Lafayette park is located less than north of Purdue University's West Lafayette campus, and is the largest university-affiliated research park in the United States. The other...
in West Lafayette, Indiana
West Lafayette, Indiana
As of the census of 2010, there were 29,596 people, 12,591 households, and 3,588 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,381.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 74.3% White, 17.3% Asian, 2.7% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.03% Pacific...
. However, prior to the Video Library's launch, C-SPAN's archived programming was only available to the public via videocassette and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
purchase from C-SPAN; with the approval of the network's board of cable industry executives, the online archive was developed to make C-SPAN content more immediately accessible. The C-SPAN Video Library debuted unofficially in August 2007, with hosted video streaming and limited search tools. The following year, C-SPAN added an embeddable player to the Video Library's website. The full archive officially launched March 17, 2010, upon completion of a multi-year project that digitized C-SPAN programming from 1987 onward.