Congress, Politics, Books
and American History

What does C-SPAN cover? 

C-SPAN covers LIVE gavel-to-gavel floor proceedings of the U.S. House of Representatives.
C-SPAN2 covers LIVE gavel-to-gavel floor proceedings of the U.S. Senate.
C-SPAN3 covers public affairs events, congressional hearings and history programming.

When the House and Senate are out of session, we carry LIVE or taped events on our networks ranging from Press Briefings to Congressional Hearings to Speeches and News Conferences related to public affairs.

How will I know when an event will air on TV? 

Outside of our LIVE coverage of Congress, we air events as time in our schedule permits. A program may air up to four times, and will air at different times of the day and night to reach the widest range of viewers. Because of the nature of LIVE events, it is difficult to schedule programs in advance. We recommend that you go to our TV Schedules link in the top left corner of our home page and check for updates throughout the day. You will also find Schedule Updates on our television networks every 15 to 30 minutes announcing upcoming programs a few hours in advance.

What if I miss an airing on TV? 

If you miss an airing on TV, it is possible that the program may air again. We recommend that you go to our TV Schedules link in the top left corner of our home page and check for updates throughout the day. You may also watch a missed program at our website by going to our home page and checking the Recent Programs section, or by visiting the Video Library link in the top right corner of our home page to search a wider range of video.

How do I find a program in the Video Library? 

There are a number of ways to search for online videos:

• By Keyword: type a keyword in the search box, such as the name of an individual or organization.
• By Date: click the Schedule tab. On the date line, click the drop-down arrow to select a specific date. Scroll through that day’s program line-up to find and select your program.
• By Program Type, Series, or Topic: click the Browse tab to search through different categories of programs.
• By Most Recent, Most Watched, and Most Shared videos:click the corresponding tabs on the homepage.
• For Congressional Content: click the Congress tab to access the Congressional Chronicle.
• Advanced Search: click Advanced Search at the top right of the page to enter specific search criteria.
• Visit the Video Library at www.c-span.org/videolibrary  

How far back does C-SPAN's Video Library go? 

All programming that has aired on C-SPAN since 1987 (160,000 hours) is now available online in Flash video format. Many programs aired since 2003 have searchable text integrated with the Flash player, allowing the viewer to immediately navigate to the video that corresponds with the words in the text. All congressional committees and presidential appearances in 2008 display the text alongside the video with the speakers and questions indexed.

I’d like to see previous Congressional content online, where do I go?  

C-SPAN’s Congressional Chronicle, accessible through the Video Library, provides an extensive video and text collection of all House and Senate floor proceedings dating back to 1993. Search by person, date, or bill to find what interests you.

How do I order a Video, Congressional Directory, Merchandise, or Transcript? Where do I call if I have an order question? 

Videos, Congressional Directories, and other C-SPAN merchandise can be ordered online at http://www.c-span.org/store or by calling 877-662-7726. C-SPAN does not offer written transcripts for purchase. Portions of transcripts associated with each video are available online. For information or order questions contact the C-SPAN Archives by submitting an Online Case Form or by calling the toll-free number at 877-662-7726.

How do I license C-SPAN footage?  

All licensing and use requests are to be submitted online through the following link: http://www.c-spanvideo.org/rights. Please read through the Licensing and Permissions Policy to determine if a license is required for your requested footage. For license information or to submit a license request contact the C-SPAN Archives by completing the Licensing Request Form.

How does C-SPAN choose what events they will cover? 

C-SPAN's assignment desk keeps well informed of events happening in the public affairs arena. Our editorial board meets daily to determine what events our cameras will cover. If there is an event that you feel we should cover, you can contact us at 202-737-3220.

How do I submit an event for coverage consideration?  

C-SPAN will only consider covering events that are submitted by sponsoring organizations. Please contact C-SPAN at 202-737-3220 and have the following event details prepared: Title, Date, Location, Contact information.

Please note that C-SPAN… 

• will only consider events submitted by the event sponsor
• does not accept press releases or PSAs
• does not provide follow up or verification of receipt
• assignment editors will consider your event and contact you only if there is an interest

How do I get through to the Washington Journal? 

The Washington Journal airs LIVE every morning from 7am – 10am EST and you may call, email, or twitter into the show.

How do I contact C-SPAN?  

Main office number and address:
            202- 737- 3220
            400 N. Capitol St NW, Suite 650, Washington, DC 20001

Email Addresses:
             Washington Journal: journal@c-span.org
             Book TV: booktv@c-span.org
             C-SPAN Radio: radio@c-span.org 

 Website Questions

• Online (online@c-span.org): Questions and comments about technical concerns with C-SPAN's website and Alert services. Please use this address for web -related questions only.

Educational Outreach Questions

• C-SPAN in the Classroom (educate@c-span.org): Learn about current C-SPAN educational initiatives and free resources.
• The Campaign 2012 Bus (educate@c-span.org): Find out when the Bus is coming to your neighborhood or request a visit.

Follow C-SPAN on Twitter

• @cspan: For programming/schedule updates and C-SPAN announcements
• @cspanwj: For the morning "Washington Journal" LIVE interview program
• @cspanradio: Program info from C-SPAN Radio, commercial-free public affairs programming around the clock
• @BookTV: For information/ author & event updates on C-SPAN2's BookTV
• @cspan_classroom: Free educational resources for civics teachers
• @cspanbus: For information about C-SPAN's Campaign 2012 Bus
• @CSPANJOBS: For information about employment opportunities at C-SPAN

Licenses and Special Program Use  

• For license information or to submit a license request contact the C-SPAN Archives by completing the Licensing Request Form.