C-SPAN Analysis: What Are We Missing?

Exciting things are happening here at VoterWatch, as we work toward the launch of a pilot program that will assist us in further promoting government transparency and citizen engagement!

In preparation for VoterWatch’s upcoming program, we’ve spent some time analyzing C-SPAN’s coverage of Congressional hearings.  Since our primary interest is in creating a video record of what occurs in House and Senate meetings, access to footage is paramount.  Unfortunately (and as many of you know), our government doesn’t offer adequate access to video, audio, and transcripts, as the quality and availability of these items greatly differ among committees.

Since C-SPAN is the main hub for Congressional footage, we decided to examine one week of network coverage to see exactly what the C-SPAN channels are covering—and what they’re not.  While we are not attempting to fault C-SPAN for missing hearings (after all, covering all of the committees is an arduous and expensive task), we think it’s important to understand what we’re not seeing.

We’ll be expanding on this examination next week, as we explore a second week of coverage.  For now, please read on for an analysis of the week of February 4-10, 2008!


Analysis

Overall, C-SPAN covered 28% of all committee hearings held during the week of February 4-10, 2008.  This does not include the four closed hearings that occurred.  The four closed committee hearings were:

- One Hearing, Wednesday, February 6, 2008, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (Iran meeting)

- One Hearing, Wednesday, February 6, 2008, House Committee on Appropriations (Defense Subcommittee meeting)

- Two Hearings, Thursday, February 7, 2008, House Committee on Appropriations (both Defense Subcommittee meetings)

Any events that were repeated are counted only one time (on the day that they occurred during the week of analysis) and any event that was aired from a previous date is not included.  Programming (hearings only) from all three networks—C-SPAN, C-SPAN2 and C-SPAN3—is included. 

Here is the analysis, complete with daily proportions of coverage:


Monday, February 4, 2008
(No proportion of coverage to report; C-SPAN aired two committee meetings from January 29, 2008)

There were no Congressional meetings on Monday, February 4, 2008


Tuesday, February 5, 2008
75% of House/Senate Committee Meetings Covered

C-SPAN COVERED THE FOLLOWING CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS:
- Senate Finance Committee, Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Proposal (2/5; C-SPAN; Also aired on C-SPAN 2)
- Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, National Security Assessment (2/5; C-SPAN; Also aired on C-SPAN 2 and 3)
- Senate Budget Committee, Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Proposal (2/5; C-SPAN; Also aired on C-SPAN 2)

C-SPAN DID NOT COVER THE FOLLOWING CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS:
- Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Review of Veterans’ Disability Compensation: Rehabilitating Veterans


Wednesday, February 6, 2008
38% of House/Senate Committee Hearings Covered

C-SPAN COVERED THE FOLLOWING CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS:
- Senate Committee on Armed Services, Fiscal Year 2009 Defense Budget Proposal (2/6; C-SPAN; Aired twice)
- House Armed Services Committee, Fiscal Year 2009 Defense Budget Proposal (2/6; C-SPAN and C-SPAN 3)
- Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Funding the Highway Trust Fund (2/6; C-SPAN 2)
- Senate Finance Committee, Fiscal Year 2009 HHS Budget Proposal (2/6; C-SPAN 2 and 3)
- House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Situation in Kenya (2/6; C-SPAN 2)

C-SPAN DID NOT COVER THE FOLLOWING CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS:
- Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, U.S. Department of Energy’s budget for fiscal year 2009
- Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works, Full Committee Business Meeting
- Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works, Perspectives on the Surface Transportation Commission Report
- Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Briefing on Sudan
- Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Nominations
- House Natural Resources Committee, Legislative Hearing on H.R. 2176 and H.R. 4115
- House Committee on Rules, Legislative Hearing on H.R. 4137 and H.Res. 955
- House Armed Services Committee, Testimony on Fiscal Year 2009 National Defense Budget Request from the Department of Defense


Thursday, February 7, 2008
12% of House/Senate Committee Hearings Covered

C-SPAN COVERED THE FOLLOWING CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS:
- House Judiciary Committee, Justice Department Oversight (2/7; C-SPAN; Aired twice)
- House Select Intelligence Committee, National Security Assessment (2/7; C-SPAN and C-SPAN 3)
- House Committee on Veterans Affairs, Fiscal Year 2009 Veterans Affairs Budget Proposal (2/7; C-SPAN 2)

C-SPAN DID NOT COVER THE FOLLOWING CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS:
- House Committee on Appropriations, Quality of Life
- House Committee on Appropriations, Department of Interior Budget
- House Committee on Appropriations, Capitol Visitor Center Oversight
- House Committee on Appropriations, Department of Transportation Budget
- House Armed Services Committee, Testimony on Beneficiary Advocacy Overview
- House Committee on the Budget, The President’s Fiscal Year 2009 Budget
- House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Department of Energy’s Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Proposal
- House Financial Services Committee, Diversity in the Financial Services Sector
- House Financial Services Committee, Holocaust Insurance Accountability Act of 2007
- House Committee on Foreign Affairs, U.S. Obligations Under the Merida Initiative
- House Committee on Homeland Security, Other Transaction Authority: Flexibility at the Expense of Accountability?
- House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Agency Budgets and Priorities for FY 2009
- House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, The President’s FY09 Federal Aviation Administration Budget
- House Committee on Ways and Means, Hearing on the President’s Fiscal Year 2009 Budget
- Senate Committee on the Armed Services, Testimony on Business Transformation and Financial Management at the Department of Defense
- Senate Committee on the Armed Services, Testimony on the final report of the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves
- Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Reforming the Regulation of the Government Sponsored Enterprises
- Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation, Nominations Hearing
- Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Hearing to Receive Testimony on the Energy Market Effects of the Recently-Passed Renewable Fuel Standard
- Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Nominations
- Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, The Immediate and Underlying Causes and Consequences of Kenya’s Flawed Election
- Senate Committee on the Judiciary, The Founding Fathers’ Papers: Ensuring Public Access to our National Treasures
- Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Hearing on the Nomination of Robert G. McSwain, to Be Director of the Indian Health Service


Friday, February 8, 2008
50% of House/Senate Committee Hearings Covered

C-SPAN COVERED THE FOLLOWING CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS:
- House Committee on Administration, Contested Florida Election (2/8; C-SPAN; Aired twice)
- House Committee on Foreign Affairs, U.S. Policy Toward Iraq (2/8; C-SPAN; Aired twice)

C-SPAN DID NOT COVER THE FOLLOWING CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS:
- House Financial Services Committee, Negative Implications of the President’s Signing Statement on the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act
- House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Government Accountability Office’s Review of the Federal Protective Service: Preliminary Findings

by billy

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