History unfolds as C-SPAN visits Charles City

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

C-SPAN calls itself the network “where history unfolds daily.”

So Charles City was a small part of history on Friday.

The C-SPAN Tour Bus was in town on Friday, and the public was invited to a free open house at the high-tech interactive mobile classroom and production studio.

C-SPAN marketing representative Jenae Green said there were a lot of interested Charles City residents.

“When the bus pulled up, we were getting ready and there was a crowd outside waiting, which was really nice to see,” she said. “The community has really come out. We appreciate the local Chamber and Mediacom for helping us promote this.”

The network is beginning its 2020 presidential campaign coverage with a seven-week tour of battleground states, beginning in Iowa.

C-SPAN — Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network — was created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a nonprofit public service. It televises proceedings of the United States federal government, as well as other public affairs programming.

“We’re traveling around the country just to let people know they have a non-partisan source where they can get their information on the candidates running their government, but from an unfiltered view,” Green said. “We’ve been in Iowa all week. We started in Iowa City, been to Dubuque and Decorah, and finished off Friday in Charles City.”

The network is a private, non-profit organization funded by its cable and satellite affiliates. It does not have advertisements on any of its networks, and it does not solicit donations or pledges. The network operates independently, and neither government nor industry controls its programming content.

The bus kicked off the day at Charles City High School and Middle School and Green talked to history students as well as students who are taking current events classes.

While at CCMS and CCHS, Green said she highlighted C-SPAN’s student cam video documentary competition, open to students in grades 6-12.

“We just launched the theme this week, it’s ‘What’s your vision for 2020?’” she said. “What do you want the candidates to talk about during the campaign season?”

She said students can work by themselves or in a group up to three to make the videos, and the grand prize is $5,000. C-SPAN will be giving away more than $100,000 in prizes every year to 150 winners nationwide.

Green said that if there are any winners from Charles City, C-SPAN will bring the bus back to award the prizes and celebrate the winners. Winning videos will also air on C-SPAN.

“This is to let the students know their voices are being heard and that we’re proud of them,” Green said.

The contest runs until January, and more information is available online at studentcam.org, where students can also can look at past winning videos.

The bus was parked on Main Street by Central Park from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday. The C-SPAN event was hosted by Mediacom Charles City, and included an interactive tour of the bus as well as C-SPAN buttons and treats from SweetMama Bakes.

Those who took the tour of the bus were greeted with an array of tablets and other communication technology, and introduced to two apps that are exclusive to the C-SPAN bus. One of the apps highlights current events and pop culture and features quizzes on the different branches of government.

The other app, just launched this week, features clips of candidates from the 2020 campaign, the history of the Iowa caucus and electoral college maps from the early 1900s all the way through 2016, showing how the map has evolved through the years.

“It’s more education and community outreach,” Green said. “I know it’s football season, so we’re doing it early in the day to not take away from the game tonight.”