C-SPAN, which originally stood for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, was the first United Statescable televisionnetwork dedicated to 24 hour-a-day coverage to national government and public affairs. C-SPAN often will show live sessions of the U.S. House of Representatives while in progress; this coverage is referred to as "gavel to gavel".
C-SPAN first went on the air in 1979, on March 19. C-SPAN 2, a spinoff network, covers live sessions of the U.S. Senate and went on the air in 1986, with the original channel then focusing on the House. The new C-SPAN 3 is now available on some digital cable systems. Since 1979, the cable industry has spent US $230 million to operate the networks.
The three channels also air government hearingss, press conferences and meetings of various political, media, and non-profit organizations, book discussions, Q&A; sessions, and occasionally show proceedings of the Canadian Parliament, British Parliament (whose more spirited and raucous proceedings are often an entertaining contrast to the more ordered and somber sessions of the US Congress), and other governments while they are discussing matters relevant to the U.S.
On October 9, 1997, C-SPAN launched C-SPAN Radio which broadcasts on WCSP 90.1 FM in Washington, DC. The radio station, which also broadcasts on the XM and Sirius satellite radio systems, covers similar events as its sister TV networks.
