Survey Estimates 22 Million Americans Watch C-SPAN Weekly
Heaviest Viewing During Prime Time; Viewers Cite "Balanced Coverage" As Most Valued Aspect
As the network created by the cable company marks its 18th anniversary, a national survey estimates that 12 percent of the adult population -- or 22 million people -- watch C-SPAN's public affairs programming each week.
National awareness of C-SPAN is reported at 68 percent. And, more than half (52%) of those who are aware of C-SPAN say that they have tuned in the commercial-free public affairs network.
This is the first survey to measure past-week use of C-SPAN. Each election year, Statistical Research Inc (SRI) conducts a national survey to access the size and composition of the C-SPAN audience. This year, 965 interviews were conducted with randomly selected adults between November 6 and 20, 1996.
SRI Project Director, Dr. Maura Clancey, also found that C-SPAN viewers are spending more time watching the network: Past-year viewers reported watching the C-SPAN network an average of 6.1 hours per week -- an increase of almost one hour over the 1992 measure of 5.3 hours.
C-SPAN Use Highest During Evening Hours
Most C-SPAN use occurs during evening hours according to the SRI survey. Past-week viewers report that 52 percent of their viewing occurs during the evening or "late night." By contrast, they allocate just 12 percent of their C-SPAN watching to the morning hours.
C-SPAN's "Balanced" Coverage Grows In Value For Audience
When asked which aspect of the network they value most, 43 percent of viewers who responded named C-SPAN's "balanced or unbiased coverage" -- an increase of six percentage points from the 1992 survey. Another twenty-three percent cited the network's "in-depth coverage" as most valuable.
C-SPAN Appeals Across Party Lines
Consistent with the 1992 survey results, C-SPAN viewers remain mearly evenly divided across party lines:
- 30% Democrat
- 26% Republican
- 28% Independent
Congressional Hearings, Floor Coverage Remain Staples of C-SPAN Viewing
Congressional hearings top the list of events watched most frequently by past-week C-SPAN viewers -- 72 percent tune in "often" or "occassionally." This was followed by House Floor debate (67 percent) and Senate Floor debate (64 percent). Fourty-four percent report tuning in at least occasionally to "The Washington Journal," C-SPAN's daily morning viewer call-in program.
C-SPAN Viewers Vote, Volunteer, and Contribute To Political Campaigns
Ninety-four percent of past-week C-SPAN viewers reported that they were registered to vote. Of those, 93 percent said they voteed in the '96 election. The survey also provides other evidence of high political involvement among regular C-SPAN viewers:
| | C-SPAN Viewers | Non-Viewers |
| Contact Congress | 20% | 6% |
| Contributions | 21% | 12% |
| Volunteering | 7% | 4% |
Finally, C-SPAN Viewers Are Higher-Than-Average Computer Users
Forty-two percent of C-SPAN viewers use a PC in their home, compared with 24 percent of non-viewers.
About 70 percent of homes in the United States currently have access to C-SPAN via cable or satellite. C-SPAN, created by the cable television industry in 1979, operates two twenty-four hour networks -- C-SPAN and C-SPAN2. As a public service, the C-SPAN networks provide live gavel-to-gavel coverage of Congress. They also offer a wide variety of other public affairs programming.
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