Buoyed by an outpouring of support from viewers and House members wowed by the unusual C-SPAN camera work during the multiday vote for speaker, C-SPAN has asked House leaders to let it continue free-ranging with its cameras now that the chamber is back in session.
In a letter to new House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Republican and Democratic leadership, C-SPAN Co-CEO Susan Swain said it would like to add its cameras in the chamber so that they could capture the action in the seats, not just the podium and tables where speeches are given to House-controlled stationary cameras.
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“The public, press and member reaction to C-SPAN’s coverage — along with the ‘transparency’ themes in your new rules package have encouraged us to resubmit a request we have made to our predecessors without success: Allow C-SPAN to cover House floor proceedings on behalf of our network and all congressionally-accredited news organizations,” said the letter tweeted out.
C-SPAN, funded by cable networks, has been broadcasting House floor speeches and votes for nearly 43 years. They do not control the stationary cameras in the House, however.
C-SPAN does not control cameras in the House.
READ: C-SPAN letter to Speaker McCarthy requesting our cameras be allowed into the House Chamber. https://t.co/wvf1aHcG3r
MORE Letters Requesting Greater Transparency https://t.co/5ANsfjYLVz pic.twitter.com/5YM2eVQFrQ
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 10, 2023
During the speaker vote last week, when rules were lifted because the House wasn’t formally in session, C-SPAN was allowed to add cameras, and viewers were wowed by what they caught, including nearly a fight among Republicans battling over McCarthy’s speakership.
Some outlets wrote that C-SPAN cameras had been allowed to “go wild,” but in fact, C-SPAN is considered the news and video outlet of record in Washington, and its respect for the city’s political institutions is appreciated universally. Without fanfare last week, it simply pointed some of its cameras to the interactions of members, including many rare scenes of Democrats and Republicans speaking or working together.
“We request to install a few additional cameras in the House chamber. When mixed with the existing House production [by the stationary cameras], shots from our cameras would allow us to create a second, journalistic product, just as we did last week,” wrote Swain.
It would be a baby step to free coverage by cameras on the House floor, where TV outlets have to take the video feed produced by the House and feed it through C-SPAN for its viewers.
C-SPAN for years has been pressing for better access to Congress and the Supreme Court but has been snubbed by leaders.
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But after the positive reaction to the coverage of the speaker vote, several House members are planning to introduce bills to expand coverage and let C-SPAN add cameras that the networks and cables can take video feeds from.
McCarthy is said to be exploring ways to let C-SPAN cover more of Congress freely.
