WisconsinEye
Encyclopedia
WisconsinEye is a non-profit, private public affairs cable network in the state of Wisconsin
, USA. The network airs gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Wisconsin Legislature
, including floor sessions of the Wisconsin State Assembly
and Wisconsin State Senate
, plus committee meetings and other programs of state interest such as panels, town halls, and programs about state history. The coverage is available live both on the cable network as well as through the WisconsinEye website.
The channel is being financed by private donors including Wisconsin billionaires Ken and Diane Hendricks
, who have contributed more than US$
1 million. The channel is partnering with Charter Communications
and Time Warner Cable
in order to reach over 60 percent of the state's population, and is available on the lifeline tier of both systems for those with a digital cable
receiver (Charter channel 995, Time Warner channel 163). The channel began operations in May 2007, and although the network's signal is 480i
SDTV, all programming is acquired in 1080i
with high-definition television
(HD) cameras and equipment and presented in letterbox
format, suggesting a simple transition to an HD signal should the opportunity arise.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, USA. The network airs gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Wisconsin Legislature
Wisconsin Legislature
The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house Wisconsin Senate and the lower Wisconsin Assembly...
, including floor sessions of the Wisconsin State Assembly
Wisconsin State Assembly
The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin....
and Wisconsin State Senate
Wisconsin State Senate
The Wisconsin Senate, the powers of which are modeled after those of the U.S. Senate, is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature, smaller than the Wisconsin State Assembly...
, plus committee meetings and other programs of state interest such as panels, town halls, and programs about state history. The coverage is available live both on the cable network as well as through the WisconsinEye website.
The channel is being financed by private donors including Wisconsin billionaires Ken and Diane Hendricks
Ken Hendricks
Kenneth A. Hendricks was a businessman who grew a shingle supply company into a $2.6 billion fortune and a spot on the Forbes 400...
, who have contributed more than US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1 million. The channel is partnering with Charter Communications
Charter Communications
Charter Communications is an American company providing cable television, high-speed Internet, and telephone services to more than 4.7 million customers in 25 states. By revenues, it is the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States, behind Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications...
and Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
in order to reach over 60 percent of the state's population, and is available on the lifeline tier of both systems for those with a digital cable
Digital cable
Digital cable is a generic term for any type of cable television distribution using digital video compression or distribution. The technology was originally developed by Motorola.-Background:...
receiver (Charter channel 995, Time Warner channel 163). The channel began operations in May 2007, and although the network's signal is 480i
480i
480i is the shorthand name for a video mode, namely the US NTSC television system or digital television systems with the same characteristics. The i, which is sometimes uppercase, stands for interlaced, the 480 for a vertical frame resolution of 480 lines containing picture information; while NTSC...
SDTV, all programming is acquired in 1080i
1080i
1080i is the shorthand name for a high-definition television mode. The i means interlaced video; 1080i differs from 1080p, in which the p stands for progressive scan. The term 1080i assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a frame size of 1920×1080 pixels...
with high-definition television
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
(HD) cameras and equipment and presented in letterbox
Letterbox
Letterboxing is the practice of transferring film shot in a widescreen aspect ratio to standard-width video formats while preserving the film's original aspect ratio. The resulting videographic image has mattes above and below it; these mattes are part of the image...
format, suggesting a simple transition to an HD signal should the opportunity arise.