It takes a lot to get C-SPAN political director Steve Scully angry.
In confrontational Washington, his is a calming voice moderating the cable coalition’s coverage of policy and politics.
“Shocker: C-SPAN shut out of live coverage of S.C. Democrat convention” https://t.co/iZtfgsibM7
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) June 21, 2019
So it was unusual when he let the South Carolina Democratic Party have it when MSNBC was given exclusive live coverage rights of its weekend convention. Along with Fox and CNN, the party barred C-SPAN from live broadcast, and Scully told the Washington Examiner, “We’re not happy.”
In fact, he pulled his cameras out of the event. In his call to the party, he said, “I was pretty direct. I was not happy. It takes a lot to get me angry. This kind of boils my blood. Because of our reputation, because of what we do.”
“Fox, CNN, C-SPAN barred from live coverage of SC 2020 convention … C-SPAN, which has never been denied live coverage of a state convention in the network’s 40 years, has reluctantly pulled out of the convention …”
— @SecretsBedard in @dcexaminer https://t.co/OFhW5r1yeF
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) June 18, 2019
How rare was the decision by the party to bar C-SPAN gavel-to-gavel coverage? Scully told the Washington Examiner, “This is the first time in C-SPAN’s 40-years history of covering ‘Road to the White House’ that we have been denied live coverage of a state party convention.”
Other outlets also expressed anger. The party has shifted to let the local public affairs station livestream the 9-hour event.
