Session Date: August 18, 2005

Annual Meeting Session Summary: Cameras in the Capitol, The Legislative Perspective on Live TV Coverage

By Bret Jensen
Public Information Officer, Washington House Republican Caucus

This summary is provided for information purposes only. NCSL does not endorse any views it contains.

SEATTLE - As more states choose to televise state government, more of the public is becoming interested and involved in the process, according to a panel of experts at the National Conference of State Legislatures' 2005 Annual Meeting.

The panel, which took place at the session titled Cameras in the Capitol: The Legislative Perspective on Live TV Coverage, included five legislators and public affairs network representatives. They discussed the usefulness of TV coverage in state government, and its impact on legislators, the public and the media. The consensus on the panel was that this coverage is a positive change.

Many states are now broadcasting government proceedings 24 hours a day on local cable channels.

Washington State Legislator Lisa Brown said the effect of coverage on her district, a long way from the state capital, has been nothing but good. “Seeing the legislative process on TV and seeing the diversity and procedures in government has made my constituents more informed and interested in the overall experience,” she said.

The panel discussed how the coverage affects legislators. "I don’t believe that TV coverage has promoted grandstanding among legislators because they are on TV,” Brown said. “If anything, it has improved the behavior of legislators, especially in committee meetings.”

Panel members also said that TV coverage encourages commercial media to step up their coverage of the legislature. Connecticut Representative Robert Godfrey, who helped to start his state’s TV channel, said he’s seen increased attention by the media. “Connecticut Television (CTN) has been a positive change in this area. Commercial TV realizes that CTN is a reliable source of material and the print media has a higher demand by their readers to cover the legislature because of what they’ve seen on TV.”

A lot of state officials are looking at starting their own channels. The National Association of Public Affairs Networks (NAPAN) President Paul Giguere offered advice for startups. “States will first have to have a philosophical discussion about the need for coverage. …Then the legislature has to fund it and help negotiate for a cable channel on which to broadcast it.”

Giguere said his organization has a goal that all states will be broadcasting state government by 2015. About half of the states now have some form of government broadcast.

Five legislators from around the country were part of the panel: Washington Senator Lisa Brown; Connecticut Representative Sonny Googins; Connecticut Representative Robert Godfrey; Alaska Senator Gary Stevens; and Florida Representative David Simmons. TV experts also participated including NAPAN President Giguere and Dr. Mark Badger from CISCO Systems, who advises states on setting up TV coverage.

NCSL is the bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the states, commonwealths and territories. It provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues and is an effective and respected advocate for the interests of the states in the American federal system.