C-SPAN To Offer Free Access To Hearings

[babylonsister]

http://beltwayblogroll.nationaljournal.com/archives/2007/03/cspan_to_offer.php

C-SPAN To Offer Free Access To Hearings

Under pressure from bloggers and other Internet activists, the network that broadcasts congressional hearings has agreed to grant public access to many of its video feeds.

The Cable Satellite Public Affairs Network, commonly known as C-SPAN, announced in a release today that it is liberalizing its copyright policy for "current, future and past coverage of any official events sponsored by Congress and any federal agency -- about half of all programming." The network said the move will "allow non-commercial copying, sharing and posting of C-SPAN video on the Internet, with attribution." The policy will apply to congressional hearings, agency briefings and White House events.

C-SPAN also said it plans to significantly expand its capitolhearings.org Web site to make it "a one-stop resource for congressionally produced webcasts of House and Senate committee and subcommittee hearings."

The network tipped its hat to bloggers in its release: "These actions are intended to meet the growing demand for video about the federal government and Congress, in an age of explosive growth of video file-sharers, bloggers and online 'citizen journalists.' The policy change is effective immediately."

Andrew Noyes, one of my senior writers, has been covering this breaking story for Technology Daily the past couple of weeks. It started when House Republicans criticized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. -- and then retracted that criticism -- for posting footage from House floor debates on her new blog, The Gavel.

The story sparked a movement to make more congressional video freely available, and C-SPAN quickly obliged.

Here's what two C-SPAN executives said about the change in policy:

-- Executive Committee Chairman William Bresnan, the CEO of Bresnan Communications: "The C-SPAN board sees this as helping us carry out C-SPAN's public service mission. The cable industry created this network to allow citizens greater access to their government, and this enhancement appropriately reflects the rapid changes in the online information world."

-- President and co-chief operating officer Rob Kennedy: "Giving voice to the average citizen has been a centerpiece of C-SPAN's journalism since our network's founding in 1979. As technology advances, we want to continue to be a leader in providing citizens with the tools to be active participants in the democratic process.

[meegbear]

1. That should have been a no-brainer ...

if they're representing the people, then the people should have free access to it. QED.