Let us sing the praises of C-Span

[jducoeur]

I'm going to have to remember that, for events that they cover, they're sometimes a really fine choice. I watched the Inauguration there (I still have it on now -- they were just showing the speeches at the luncheon), and their "just the facts" approach is delightful. Where all the other TV networks are vying with each other to provide ever more talking heads giving opinions, C-Span covered the whole thing the way they do Congress: with lots of cameras and nary a commentator.

Really: I understand that the networks try to use the commentators to distinguish them from each other. But this allows C-Span a fine niche, distinguishing itself mainly by not playing that game. And for me, that's a big win...

Comments

[umbran.livejournal.com]

For the actual inauguration itself - from Biden's arrival through the benediction - CNN didn't cut away to talking heads. There was a bit of auditory commentary before the speaking began, but once they started having people at the microphones, the commentators shut up.

[jducoeur]

I'm not surprised, and I'm glad to hear it. But C-Span actually did two solid hours of pure coverage: just running lots of cameras and letting the event speak for itself, running that way from well before things started until everyone sat down to lunch. It was an extreme version of the same, and quite to my taste...

[elizabear.livejournal.com]

We watched PBS for the same reason.

[rosinavs.livejournal.com]

I wish I had thought of that, because the talking heads on NBC were annoying. I don't need the commentary on how historical it all is, although repeating some of the more quotable bits of the speech was nice. That was the only part worthwhile.

[yukirien.livejournal.com]

MLB did the same thing, except for a little ticker at the bottom streaming sports news. There was absolutely no commentary, as far as I can recall. As soon as the inauguration was over, it was back to baseball.
Best part though was the relatively low traffic. Wish we had figure that out before we watched Obama's speech on MSNBC as it kept breaking up.

C-Span Rocks

[redsquirrel.livejournal.com]

Yes, the coverage was really good for the way I like to watch this stuff. I was flipping through the channels trying to decide which one to watch when I happened on C-Span. I was so happy that I did because I really hate having "reporters" yakking away during the whole thing. I could just watch the thing unfold without some self-important windbag trying to tell me what it was I was watching - and having the cameras cut away to him or her just as they got to the bits I wanted to watch. I actually got to see the whole parade, too, with all the bands and marchers, not just the "highlights" version the other channels give you. Yay! Full of win.

[editrx.livejournal.com]

I had slept late and so had to watch everything later on repeat, and immediately went to C-SPAN because I knew they would be showing the parade without the damn talking heads (scanned past them on the way to C=SPAN, and yeah, yakking away they were...), and then they did indeed show the earlier broadcast with just the camera and nothing more. Hurray! (And hurray to be able to hear the Williams piece without talking heads -- Elric hadn't been able to hear the music earlier, apparently, and was happy I'd gone to C-SPAN when I came and took over the TV control).