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| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Nationwide |
| Headquarters | Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) (downscaled to letterboxed 480i for SDTV feeds) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | National Cable Satellite Corporation |
| Sister channels | C-SPAN2 C-SPAN3 C-SPAN Radio |
| History | |
| Launched | March 19, 1979 (C-SPAN) June 2, 1986 (C-SPAN2) January 22, 2001 (C-SPAN3) |
| Founder | Brian Lamb |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| WCSP-FM/HD (C-SPAN Radio) | FM 90.1 MHz analog/HD Radio (Washington, D.C. / Baltimore) |
| Selective TV, Inc. (Alexandria, Minnesota) | K33DB-D 50.3 |
| Streaming media | |
| Available to current cable/satellite subscribers | C-SPAN Live and on demand |
Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN /ˈsiːˌspæn/ SEE-span) is an American cable and satellite television network, created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a nonprofit public service. It televises proceedings of the United States federal government and other public affairs programming. C-SPAN is a private, nonprofit organization funded by its cable and satellite affiliates. It does not have advertisements on any of its television networks or radio stations, nor does it solicit donations or pledges on-air. However their official website has banner advertisements, and streamed videos also have advertisements. The network operates independently; the cable industry and the U.S. Congress have no control over its programming content.
The C-SPAN network includes the television channels C-SPAN, focusing on the U.S. House of Representatives; C-SPAN2, focusing on the U.S. Senate; and C-SPAN3, airing other government hearings and related programming; the radio station WCSP-FM; and a group of websites which provide streaming media and program archives. C-SPAN's television channels are available to approximately 100 million cable and satellite households within the United States. WCSP-FM is broadcast on FM radio in Washington, D.C., and is available throughout the U.S. on SiriusXM, via Internet streaming, and globally through iOS and Android apps.
The network televises U.S. political events, particularly live and "gavel-to-gavel" coverage of the U.S. Congress, as well as other major events worldwide. Coverage of political and policy events is unmoderated, providing the audience with unfiltered information about politics and government. Non-political coverage includes historical programming, programs dedicated to non-fiction books, and interview programs with noteworthy individuals associated with public policy.