A love letter to my favorite TV network

Why C-SPAN is the best.

The first time I was ever on TV, I was on C-SPAN.

It was 2002. I was 26-ish. A newbie political reporter at Roll Call newspaper. It was early in the morning. I was nervous. And thrilled. (You can watch the segment here.)

This is what I looked like:

BRUTAL suit and tie combo.

Thus began my long love affair with C-SPAN. And I am far from the only one.

On March 19, C-SPAN celebrated its 45th(!) anniversary. Which, amazing.

I went back digging through the C-SPAN archives for what it looked like on that first day. This video, made by the network, is pretty amazing.

Yes, that is Al Gore — a member of the House back in March 1979 — giving a one-minute floor speech.

“Television will change this institution, Mr. Speaker, just as it has changed the executive branch,” Gore said in his speech. “But the good will far outweigh the bad.”

If Gore only knew how right he was! The simple fact is that putting television cameras in the chambers has fundamentally altered the House and Senate (and politics) — not always in good ways.

I give you:

But, on balance, I believe C-SPAN has been a massive net good for democracy —allowing people to actually see what happens in Congress, warts and all.

As Susan Swaim, a longtime senior executive, put it in an interview with the New York Times in 2019:

The fact that people could actually see their elected representatives in their living room — and now on their phones — was a fundamental change. In the past, people might pull the lever every two years for their member of Congress and, if they were super engaged, might read a newsletter that came in the mail or go to an occasional town hall meeting.

This meant that any time you were interested, you could watch what your member of Congress had to say. Prior to television in Congress, the only time that members really got attention is if they had big names like Kennedy or if they did something outrageous, either positively or negatively, or if they were a member of the leadership.

Yes to all of that!

While C-SPAN’s cameras are usually required to shoot only the dais — because of rules passed by the chambers each session — we got a glimpse of the network’s brilliance when, during the speakership fight of Kevin McCarthy in January 2023, there were no such rules.

As Ben O’Connell, the director of editorial operations at the network, told Vice at the time:

“Because we have cameras in the chamber, we’re able to tell the story of what’s happening on the House floor. You’re able to see the migrating scrums of Congressmen on the House floor as they negotiate with each other. You’re able to see extraordinary conversations…And you’re able to see conversations that sometimes look somewhat contentious among some members. You’d never be able to see that with the standard House feed.”

(Sidebar: I should note here that Ben is a friend. I have known him — through C-SPAN — for decades. But neither he nor anyone else at the network asked me to write this encomium to it. C-SPAN did send me two wine glasses to celebrate their 45th anniversary. And I have received a C-SPAN hat or other swag over the years. All in the interest of full disclosure!)

While C-SPAN’s main offering is — and will always be — the proceedings from the House and Senate floors, it’s actually some of the other stuff that makes me love it the most.

At the top of that list is “Washington Journal” — the daily call-in show where, every morning, a C-SPAN anchor (and sometimes a special guest) hear from, well, the people.

If you are not familiar with the format of the show, you can call in on the “Democrat,” “Republican” or “Independent” line and just sound off on the issues of the day. It makes for AMAZING TV.

The show has a devoted follower in Cher, who called in to “Washington Journal” not once but twice in the early 2000s. Yes, Cher! Here is her second call in 2006:

I have been on the show a few times. It is a crazy experience. First of all, you are usually on for an hour — an eternity in TV time. Second, after taking a call from someone insisting they have been inside Area 51 and have seen aliens, the anchor will turn to you, nonplussed, and say: “Chris Cillizza, your thoughts?”

That never happens anywhere else!

I also have come to rely on C-SPAN’s coverage of the political campaigns. For example, today, C-SPAN is slated to run Robert F. Kennedy’s announcement of his vice presidential pick. No other network will do that!

When I am looking for transcripts of the campaign speeches Donald Trump is giving, C-SPAN has them more often than any other place. Long after the other networks have walked away from carrying the daily White House press briefing, C-SPAN is still there covering it.

In my post-CNN career, I confess that I watch WAY less cable news than I once did. This is not a criticism of cable! It’s more a reflection on how my personal preferences have changed.

I find myself drawn more than ever before to the primary source that C-SPAN represents. It’s just what politicians — and other newsmakers — are saying. You can make up your own mind about what it all means.

I like that. Especially now that I make my living by watching politicians talk — and then breaking down what I think it means (and why it matters). Because of that, I find myself watching C-SPAN (I watch it via my computer, not on TV) more and more these days.

So, thank you C-SPAN. For not trying to be anything other than you. Not flashy. Not sexy. But perfect in your on unique way.