Processing Tapes
Activities associated with airing an event are handled by C-SPAN's programming operations division. Programming operations is responsible for editing, scheduling and airing all events that appear on C-SPAN. Once the camera crew returns from covering an event, the tapes and shoot sheets are turned over to a shift producer in programming operations. A production assistant then enters information about the tape into a computerized library system. This system is used to track the physical location of each tape, as well as store pieces of information such as event name, date, participants and length. After each tape is entered into the system, it is placed on a shelf with other tapes to await editing.

At this point, a staff member takes the shoot sheet to a device called a Chyron station to create the captions that will be shown when the event airs. Captions are created for pieces of information such as the name of the event, the event sponsor and participants. These captions are not directly superimposed onto the video tape, but are stored in the Chyron system under a unique reference number. Before air time, the list of captions and reference numbers will be given to the master control operator in the control room. When the event airs, the operator can bring any caption on-screen simply by entering its reference number.

Because C-SPAN strives to air events in their entirety, editing is kept to a minimum. However, occasional glitches do sometimes occur during taping. These might include audio difficulties or a camera focusing on the wrong person. These minor glitches are edited out as subtly as possible to minimize disrupting the continuity of the event. After the tapes are edited, they are shelved with other edited tapes in the tape library and their status is updated on the computerized library system. With editing completed and all necessary captions prepared, the event is now ready to be aired.

Putting A Schedule Together
Due to the amount of live programming aired on C-SPAN, creating a daily program schedule can be a complicated process. Since the primary mission of C-SPAN is to provide live, gavel-to-gavel coverage of the House of Representatives (or, in the case of C-SPAN2, the Senate), no other programming can be aired until recess is declared in the House or Senate. Unfortunately for the programming schedulers, neither the House nor the Senate operates with a pre-determined recess time, making it nearly impossible to know in advance when other programming can be aired. A similar problem can also arise while providing live coverage of events that continue past their scheduled conclusion time. As a result, it isn't unusual for a programming lineup to be revised several times throughout the course of a day.

Each afternoon, the programming operations staff meets to schedule the evening's program lineup. The goal of this meeting is to create an evening schedule starting at 8 p.m. (or whenever the day's session in Congress ends) and continuing until the start of the Washington Journal at 7 a.m. the next morning. In determining an evening's lineup, a variety of issues have to be addressed. If the House or Senate is in session that day, how late is that session expected to last? How long are the events that were covered that day? In addition to such logistical questions, several editorial issues involving program selection must be addressed. For example, when several events are scheduled to be aired at night, one must be chosen as the "headline" event to begin the lineup. And, as always, events must also be selected to reflect a balance between opposing sides of an issue.

By late afternoon, a tentative program schedule for the evening is determined. Whenever possible, this schedule includes a three-hour block of events that begins at 8 p.m. and re-airs at 11 p.m. (8 p.m. on the west coast). This schedule is then entered into a computerized schedule log. As previously mentioned, scheduling is frequently complicated by live coverage of Congress or other events. In such cases, the initial schedule is based on an estimate of when the live event will conclude. For instance, when a House session lasts into the evening, the initial nightly schedule may be based on an estimated House adjournment time of 8 p.m. If the House is still in session past 8 p.m., the schedule may then be revised to reflect an adjournment time of 9:30 p.m. When the House finally does adjourn, the schedule is then updated "on the fly" to reflect the actual time of adjournment. Since each revised schedule must conclude at 7 a.m. the next day and no event can air simultaneously on both C-SPAN and C-SPAN2, some programs must be added or removed from the lineup to fit the available time. Balancing the desired program lineup with time constraints is one of the major challenges faced daily in programming operations. Not surprisingly, this challenge also makes it difficult to provide the public with precise schedule information ahead of time.

The Final Result
Shortly before a taped event is aired, a master control operator in the rack room (pictured at left) places the tape into one of the tape drives. Once the tape is ready to play, the operator conveys the tape deck number to the master control operator in the control room. From the control room, the operator controls the actual airing of an event. He or she can start and stop a tape in a tape drive, bring up captions and fade in and out of programs. Inside the master control room are several video monitors, allowing the operator to keep track of each element of the broadcast. One monitor displays only the captions currently on display, while another displays only the "raw" video being aired. The actual broadcast, combining both video and captions, appears on a separate screen.

All of the effort put into covering an event now comes together. At the scheduled time, the master control operator starts the tape drive and adds any needed captions. From the control room, the broadcast is relayed by satellite to cable companies throughout the United States and abroad, and from there into the homes of C-SPAN viewers.

When all airings of the event are completed for the evening, the rackroom operator removes the tape from the tape drive and places it back in the tape library, where it can be accessed for future airings. With only a limited amount of physical storage space in the library, tapes are usually kept for only a few weeks before they are discarded. However, no event aired on C-SPAN is permanently destroyed. Each event that airs on C-SPAN and C-SPAN2 is recorded and stored at the Public Affairs Video Archives (PAVA) at Purdue University. With its comprehensive archiving resources, PAVA also handles C-SPAN videotape sales.

Conclusion
We hope this virtual tour has given you a greater insight into the daily process of covering public affairs events on C-SPAN. Although certain events may receive slightly different coverage than the manner just described, the fundamental process remains the same. The next time you watch a speech or forum on C-SPAN, you should now have a greater understanding of all the hard work that goes into bringing that event into your home.