C-SPAN

===Online availability ===
[[File:C-SPAN Video Library.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.35|Home page of the C-SPAN Video Library, 2013]]
C-SPAN archival video is available through the [[C-SPAN Video Library]], maintained at the [[Purdue Research Park]] in [[West Lafayette, Indiana]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.c-spanvideo.org/about |title=About C-SPAN Video Library |work=c-span.org |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=June 4, 2011 |archive-date=December 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201222124353/http://www.c-spanvideo.org/about |url-status=dead }}</ref> Unveiled in August 2007,<ref name=Milestones/> the C-SPAN Video Library contains all of the network's programming since 1987, totaling more than 160,000 hours at its completion of digitization and public debut in March 2010.<ref name=Reynolds>{{Cite web |url=http://www.multichannel.com/article/457243-ACC_Awards_Golden_Beacon_To_C_SPAN_s_Video_Library.php |title=ACC Awards Golden Beacon To C-SPAN's Video Library |first=Mike |last=Reynolds |date=September 16, 2010 |work=multichannel.com |publisher=[[NewBay Media]] |access-date=September 27, 2010 |archive-date=July 25, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120725030353/http://www.multichannel.com/article/457243-ACC_Awards_Golden_Beacon_To_C_SPAN_s_Video_Library.php |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Early races for Congress may give forecast for November; C-SPAN presents |first=Chris|last=Cillizza |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=March 15, 2010 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/14/AR2010031402796.html |access-date=September 27, 2010}}</ref> Older C-SPAN programming continues to be added to the library, dating back to the beginning of the network in 1979,<ref name=Stelter>{{cite news |title=C-SPAN Puts Full Archives on the Web |first=Brian|last=Stelter |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 15, 2010 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/16/arts/television/16cspan.html |access-date=September 27, 2010}}</ref> and some limited earlier footage from the [[National Archives and Records Administration|National Archives]], such as film clips of [[Richard Nixon]]'s 1972 trip to China, is available as well.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gns.gannettonline.com/article/20100325/COLUMNISTS01/3250301 |title=Changing the way we view history |first=Chuck |last=Raasch |date=March 25, 2010 |work=gannettonline.com |publisher=[[Gannett Company|Gannett News Service Multimedia]] |access-date=September 27, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711072211/http://gns.gannettonline.com/article/20100325/COLUMNISTS01/3250301 |archive-date=July 11, 2011 }}</ref> Most of the recordings before 1987 (when the C-SPAN Archive was established) were not saved, except for approximately 10,000 hours of video which are slated to be made available online.<ref name=Stelter/> {{as of|2021|November|df=US}}, the C-SPAN Video Library held over 271,000 hours of programming, and they have been viewed over 253&nbsp;million times. Described by media commentators as a major educational service and a valuable resource for researchers of politics and history,<ref name=Stelter/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mediaite.com/online/c-span-online-archives-will-redefine-social-studies-education-in-america/ |title=C-SPAN Online Archives Will Redefine Social Studies Education in America |first=Frances|last=Martel |date=March 16, 2010 |work=mediaite.com |publisher=[[Mediaite]] |access-date=September 27, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21134540 |title=C-SPAN Digital Archives |author=[[Brian Williams]] |date=September 24, 2010 |work=NBC News |publisher=[[NBCNews.com]] |access-date=September 27, 2010}}</ref> the C-SPAN Video Library has also had a major role in media and [[opposition research]] in several U.S. political campaigns.<ref>{{cite news |title=C-SPAN's blasts from the past |author=[[Howard Kurtz]] |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=September 23, 2010 |url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/howard-kurtz/2010/09/c-spans_blasts_from_the_past.html |access-date=September 27, 2010}}</ref> It won a [[Peabody Award]] in 2010 "for creating an enduring archive of the history of American policymaking, and for providing it as a free, user-friendly public service."<ref>[http://www.peabodyawards.com/award-profile/c-span-video-library 70th Annual Peabody Awards], May 2011.</ref>

Prior to the initiation of the C-SPAN Video Library, websites such as [[Metavid]] and voterwatch.org hosted House and Senate video records, however C-SPAN contested Metavid's usage of C-SPAN copyrighted footage. The result was Metavid's removal of portions of the archive produced with C-SPAN's cameras, while preserving its archive of government-produced content.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://metavid.ucsc.edu/wiki/index.php/Democratizing_the_Archive:_An_Open_Interface_for_Mediation#Motivations_for_Metavid_and_its_Contested_Legality |title=Democratizing the Archive: An Open Interface for Mediation |publisher=Metavid |access-date=October 12, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080605053154/http://metavid.ucsc.edu/wiki/index.php/Democratizing_the_Archive%3A_An_Open_Interface_for_Mediation |archive-date=June 5, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> C-SPAN also engaged in actions to stop parties from making unauthorized uses of its content online, including its video of House and Senate proceedings. Most notably, in May 2006, C-SPAN requested the removal of [[Stephen Colbert at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner|Stephen Colbert's performance]] at the [[White House Correspondents' Association#White House Correspondents' dinner|White House Correspondents' Association Dinner]] from [[YouTube]].<ref name=APColbert06>{{cite news |title=C-SPAN Asks Sites to Pull Colbert |url=https://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2006/05/70849 |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=May 8, 2006 |access-date=June 11, 2013}}</ref> After concerns by some webloggers,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.boingboing.net/2006/05/04/why_was_colbert_pres.html |title=Why was Colbert press corps video removed from YouTube? |work=boingboing.net |publisher=[[Boing Boing]] |author=[[Xeni Jardin]] |date=May 4, 2006 |access-date=October 12, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080709004329/http://www.boingboing.net/2006/05/04/why_was_colbert_pres.html |archive-date=July 9, 2008 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> C-SPAN gave permission for [[Google Video]] to host the full event.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/08/technology/08colbert.html |access-date=July 5, 2006 |title=A Comedian's Riff on Bush Prompts an E-Spat |first=Noam|last=Cohen |date=May 8, 2006 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> On March 7, 2007, C-SPAN liberalized its copyright policy for current, future, and past coverage of any official events sponsored by Congress and any federal agency and now allows for attributed non-commercial copying, sharing, and posting of C-SPAN video on the Internet,<ref name=Hunt07>{{cite news |title=C-SPAN alters copyright over Pelosi flap |first=Kaise|last=Hunt |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-03-07-1965288649_x.htm |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=March 7, 2007 |access-date=June 11, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://legacy.c-span.org/about/press/release.asp?code=video |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710020305/http://legacy.c-span.org/about/press/release.asp?code=video |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 10, 2012 |title=C-SPAN Takes Lead in Making Video of Congressional Hearings, White House and Other Federal Events More Widely Available to Online Community |work=c-span.org |publisher=C-SPAN |date=March 7, 2007 |access-date=March 22, 2011 }}</ref> excluding re-syndication of live video streams. The new policy did not affect the public's right to use the public domain video coverage of the floor proceedings of the U.S. House and Senate.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.c-span.org/About/C-SPAN-Copyright-Policy/ |title=Copyright Policy for Educators |work=c-span.org |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=March 22, 2011 |quote=The video coverage of the floor proceedings of the U.S. House of Representatives and of the U.S. Senate is public domain material and is not subject to this license, and as such, may also be used for educational purposes.}}</ref>

In 2008, C-SPAN's online political coverage was expanded just prior to the elections, with the introduction of three special pages on the C-SPAN website: the C-SPAN Convention Hubs and C-SPAN Debate Hub, which offered video of major events as well as discussion from weblogs and social media about the major party conventions and candidate debates.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nms.com/pressroom/entry/c-span-engages-new-media-strategies-for-innovative-online-convention-covera/ |title=C-SPAN Engages New Media Strategies for Innovative Online Convention Coverage |date=August 12, 2008 |work=nms.com |publisher=[[New Media Strategies]] |access-date=December 2, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810070530/http://nms.com/pressroom/entry/c-span-engages-new-media-strategies-for-innovative-online-convention-covera/ |archive-date=August 10, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zdnet.com/blog/gadgetreviews/exclusive-c-span-launches-gadget-fueled-debate-hub-as-social-political-destination/381 |title=EXCLUSIVE: C-SPAN Launches Gadget-Fueled 'Debate Hub' as Social, Political Destination |first=Andrew|last=Nusca |date=September 25, 2008 |work=zdnet.com |publisher=[[ZDNet]] |access-date=December 3, 2010}}</ref> C-SPAN brought back the Convention Hub for the [[2012 United States presidential election|2012 presidential election]].<ref name=Fitzpatrick13>{{cite news |title=C-SPAN's Online Hub Provides Raw Convention Coverage |first=Alex|last=Fitzpatrick |url=http://mashable.com/2012/08/23/cspan-convention-hub/ |newspaper=[[Mashable]] |date=August 23, 2012 |access-date=June 19, 2013}}</ref>

In addition to the programming available in the C-SPAN Video Library, all C-SPAN programming is available as a live feed streamed on its website in [[Flash Video]] format.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.c-span.org/About/Solving-Video-Problems/ |title=Solving Video Problems |work=c-span.org |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=December 3, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101221043614/http://www.c-span.org/About/Solving-Video-Problems/ |archive-date=December 21, 2010 }}</ref>

On July 29, 2014, C-SPAN announced that it would begin [[TV Everywhere|restricting access to the live feeds]] of the main channel, C-SPAN2 and C-SPAN3 to subscribers of cable or satellite providers later that summer, citing concerns with the slow shift in viewing habits from cable television to the internet due to its reliance on carriage fees from cable and satellite providers. However, it will continue to allow all government meetings, hearings and conferences to be streamed live online and via archived on the C-SPAN Video Library without requiring an authenticated login by a provider; live audio feeds of all three channels are also available for free through the network's [[mobile app]]. The decision drew some criticism from public interest and government transparency advocates, citing the fact that C-SPAN was designed as a public service.<ref>{{cite news|title=C-SPAN to require TV subscription for some programs|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/07/29/cspan-live-streaming-subsctription/13315733/|first=Adam|last=Ganucheau|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|date=July 29, 2014|access-date=August 4, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=C-SPAN limiting access to its online channels|url=https://thehill.com/policy/technology/213714-c-span-limiting-access-to-its-online-channels/|first=Julian|last=Hattem|date=July 29, 2014|access-date=August 4, 2014}}</ref> {{As of|December 2019}}, C-SPAN has begun advertising on its online videos, with YouTube-style advertisements that can be skipped after five seconds.<ref>{{cite news|title=C-SPAN reworks its monetization model|url=https://www.nexttv.com/features/c-span-reworks-its-monetization-model/|first=John|last=Eggerton|newspaper=[[Multichannel News]]|date=October 19, 2020|access-date=December 9, 2020}}</ref>