THE C-SPAN REVOLUTION:  NEW BOOK EXAMINES IMPACT
OF AMERICA'S PUBLIC AFFAIRS NETWORK

	CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Oct. 1 -- Which TV network doesn't
clamor for your attention and shuns anything resembling glitz, but
can claim to have influenced the careers of powerful politicians,
the role of television itself and even the workings of democracy in
America?
	The answer: C-SPAN, of course.
	A newly published book jointly written by a media analyst
and a political analyst offers the first full-scale history of the
non-profit public-affairs network as well as a behind-the-scenes
look at its operations and an assessment of its impact on politics
and media. John Sullivan, associate professor of English at the
University of Virginia, and Stephen Frantzich, professor of
political science at the U.S. Naval Academy, sum up their view of
that impact in their title: "The C-SPAN Revolution" (University of
Oklahoma Press).
	C-SPAN (The Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network) has been
broadcasting since 1979, offering gavel-to-gavel, unedited coverage
of public events on the United States, including coverage of the
U.S. Congress, political campaigning, conferences, meetings and
other events where some of the raw information needed for citizens
to make informed decisions in a democracy is presented.
	With its unedited coverage and no interpretation, C-SPAN is
not afraid to risk being boring at times.  But with its
revolutionary format and its pioneering use of viewer call-ins, the
network redefined and expanded the role of television, Sullivan and
Frantzich say.
	C-SPAN's founder and guiding light, Brian Lamb, had a truly
radical aim, the authors say.  Lamb wanted nothing less than to
shift the emphasis of television from entertainment to information
and education and make the business of government accessible to the
public.  "In an age of celebrity journalism, C-SPAN prefers whole
events over sound bites and commentary," notes Sullivan.  
	Almost from the outset the network opened its phone lines to
allow citizens to talk directly to legislators and political leaders
and also to the reporters who cover them. As a result it became the
pioneer of today's call-in political talk show.  In time C-SPAN
expanded its coverage to include congressional committee meetings,
foreign legislature sessions, presidential campaigning and more.
	Because it covers politics so closely, C-SPAN has influenced
the careers of many prominent politicians, Sullivan and Frantzich
note.  Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Newt Gingrich and Ross Perot have all
taken advantage of C-SPAN's spotlight to further their careers,
while other politicians have seen their careers suffer in C-SPAN's
exposure.
	The authors acknowledge a possible drawback to such totally
information-oriented programming: As the public has become inundated
with information it has grown more distrustful of the political
system.  However, they believe the network's benefits outweigh its
defects. Not only does C-SPAN foster a better-informed citizenry,
its unedited format allows citizens to form their own opinions, as
founder and chairman Lamb intended.
	Sullivan's and Frantzich's study is based on dozens of
interviews with C-SPAN staff and media sources, and included almost
total access to C-SPAN files as well as its daily operations.
	The network owes its origins, the authors say, to some
fortunate circumstances as well as Lamb's vision.  By the late
1970s, Congress was looking for a way to halt its slipping prestige,
and the cable TV industry needed to prove at least some interest in
public service. Lamb's idea to use television for public affairs
education fit right in, Sullivan and Frantzich say.
     	Before Lamb, TV had compressed news. C-SPAN took the
opposite approach.  Some argue whether or not C-SPAN is actually
journalism, but, says Sullivan, "it is a public service with balance
and fairness."
	"Lamb's success in turning the idea into a reality is a
testimony to the fact that idealism is not always unrealistic," the
authors write. "For anyone who is truly committed to a democracy and
who has faith in the public, it is hard to argue that we as a
society are not better off because of C-SPAN."
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September 30, 1996

	For interviews John Sullivan may be reached at (804)
924-7007 or 973-4136. Stephen Frantzich may be reached at (410)
293-6851.  For review copies of "The C-SPAN Revolution" contact the
University of Oklahoma Press at (405) 325-5111.  Television
reporters should call our TV News Office at (804) 924-7550.