C-SPAN

===Channel expansion and access===
C-SPAN2 launched on June 2, 1986, to cover Senate proceedings, and began full-time operations on January 5, 1987.<ref name=Shales>{{cite news |title=C-SPAN, America's Town Hall; Looking Back on the Decade That Brought Government Home |author=[[Tom Shales]] |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1183350.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105213910/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1183350.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 5, 2013 |date=April 3, 1989 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Ragsdale">{{cite news |title=C-SPAN has taken viewers on tour of history, government for 20 years |first=Shirley|last=Ragsdale |newspaper=[[Argus Leader]] |page=10C |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=470F-B6D0-01G9-9184&csi=256478&oc=00240&perma=true |location=Sioux Falls, South Dakota |date=March 14, 1999 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Milestones">{{cite web |url=http://legacy.c-span.org/about/company/index.asp?code=MILESTONES |title=C-SPAN Milestones |work=c-span.org |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=October 8, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717175854/http://legacy.c-span.org/about/company/index.asp?code=MILESTONES |archive-date=July 17, 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> The Senate had debated allowing television coverage for over two years, with Majority Leader [[Howard Baker]] introducing the first, failed, resolution to allow cameras onto the floor and Senator [[William L. Armstrong]] finally succeeding in televising Senate proceedings.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Life and Career of William Armstrong {{!}} C-SPAN.org|url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?14519-1/life-career-william-armstrong|access-date=June 25, 2020|website=www.c-span.org|language=en-us}}</ref>

In 1992, Congress passed [[must-carry]] regulations, which required cable carriers to allocate spectrum to local broadcasters. This affected the availability of C-SPAN, especially C-SPAN2, in some areas as some providers chose to discontinue carriage of the channel altogether.<ref name=Love>{{cite news |title=C-SPAN Cut in 95 Cities Around the Country For Total Loss of About Four Million Viewers Brian Lamb Says Competition for Air Time May Lead Network to Liven Up Its Format |author=Alice A. Love |newspaper=[[Roll Call]] |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=3S4T-HMV0-0001-S02F&csi=3624&oc=00240&perma=true |location=Washington, D.C. |date=August 8, 1994 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref><ref name=Oregonian>{{cite news |title=Federal Law Forced Paragon into Programming Changes |newspaper=[[The Oregonian]] |page= B08 |location=Portland, Oregon |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=4JN0-GVH0-TX1M-R2CG&csi=235910&oc=00240&perma=true |date=January 24, 1995 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref> Between 1993 and 1994, cable systems in 95 U.S. cities dropped or reduced broadcasts of C-SPAN and C-SPAN2.<ref name=Love/> Viewers protested these decisions, and some communities, such as [[Eugene, Oregon]] and [[Alexandria, Virginia]], were successful in restoring C-SPAN availability.<ref name=Morrison>{{cite news |title=Some of U.S. Want Our C-SPAN2 |author=Bayard H. Morrison |newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]] |url=http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2001-04-08/news/0104080011_1_lake-county-senate-debate-county-residents |date=April 8, 2001 |access-date=May 22, 2013 |archive-date=March 27, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327021841/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2001-04-08/news/0104080011_1_lake-county-senate-debate-county-residents |url-status=dead }}</ref> C-SPAN availability was broadly restored when technological improvements expanded channel capacity and allowed for both mandatory stations and the C-SPAN networks to be broadcast.<ref name=Love/>

C-SPAN3, the most recent expansion channel, began full-time operations on January 22, 2001.<ref name="Milestones" /> It airs public policy and government-related events on weekdays, historical programming on weeknights and weekends, and sometimes serves as an overflow channel for live programming conflicts on C-SPAN and C-SPAN2.<ref name="NewsCheck" /> C-SPAN3 is the successor of a digital channel called C-SPAN Extra, which was launched in the [[Washington, D.C., area]] in 1997, and televised live and recorded political events on weekdays.<ref name="Milestones" /><ref name="Moss">{{cite news|url=https://www.multichannel.com/news/time-warner-gives-lift-c-span3-136166|title=Time Warner Gives Lift to C-SPAN3|last=Moss|first=Linda|date=February 19, 2001|newspaper=[[Multichannel News]]|access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref> C-SPAN Radio also began operations in 1997, covering similar events as the television networks and often [[simulcast]]ing their programming.<ref name=Stoddard>{{cite news |title=Rosty to be Released from Custody Today |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=3SKN-K9R0-00BY-M0BK&csi=153182&oc=00240&perma=true |author=A.B. Stoddard |newspaper=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |location=Washington, D.C. |date=October 15, 1997 |access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref>

In 2010, C-SPAN began a transition to [[high-definition television|high definition]] telecasts, planned to take place over an 18-month period.<ref name="NewsCheck"/> The network provided C-SPAN and C-SPAN2 in high definition on June 1, 2010, and C-SPAN3 in July 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.multichannel.com/article/452819-IN_BRIEF.php |title=Cable Show Draws News of HD Channel Launches |date=May 18, 2010 |work=multichannel.com |publisher=[[NewBay Media]] |access-date=December 3, 2010}}</ref>

Lamb semi-retired in March 2012 and gave executive control of the network to his two lieutenants, Rob Kennedy and [[Susan Swain]].<ref name=Stelter/>