Required Reading
March 30th, 2004 - 11:32 am
Jonah Goldberg praises C-SPAN.
I have just one little complaint about C-SPAN, but it’s Adelphia’s fault, not theirs. No matter how many times Adelphia reorganizes the cable channel line-up, they never put C-SPAN 1 and C-SPAN 2 on adjoining channels. I’ve got 14 HBOs all in a row. CNN is followed by MSNBC is followed by FNC. ESPN and the Duece sit right next to each other.
And the C-SPAN Twins? They’re as far apart as Liza Minelli and David Gest on their wedding night.
Man, I didn’t know they had that many channels these days.
Haven’t watched CSPAN since they installed two lines, one pro-Clinton and one anti-Clinton. It seemed they were getting too many anti-Clinton calls, so to be “fair” they took calls from alternate lines.
The whole crowd at CSPAN is no different from any other leftwing group in Washington. They just can’t disguise their disdain when they interview those not of the liberal persuasion, and their panels, like the rest of the media, consist of at least four left-wingers and one lonely Republican/Conservative, preferably the most unattractive one they can find.
When CSPAN and CNN first went on the air, they were remarkably honest and unbiased, but that didn’t last long. Jane turned Ted into a left-wing bigot and CSPAN was getting more and more liberal until 1996 when they went under all the way.
Most likely your local cable company charges for certain channel numbers. I remember reading years ago how cable operators would charge for a lower numbered channel. CSPAN not being a “commercial” station would most likely take whatever channel is available. Some of the cable channels I have dealt with pair the 2 CSPANs together and a couple haven’t. One even boxed CNN on each side with their CSPAN feeds.
Erp,
I rarely watch the C-Span call-in show, so I can’t judge how leftist it seems. But Brian Lamb has been remarkably fair to conservative authors on Booknotes. In fact, I can’t remember him saying something obviously partisan on that show.
Oops–that should be “call-in shows“.
ERP- Duhh
Every news org. acts that way- watch FoX news and tell us they dont smirk at non-conservitives, nor place rediculasly levied panals of conservs vs the one lonely lib.
Pete – either learn to use spell check or don’t post a comment. It’s tedious reading when you have to sound out each word phonetically.
As I understand it, you are saying that conservative shows do the same thing as liberal shows. Conservatives shows on TV are as rare as hen’s teeth, so there cannot be a comparison.
As for FOX News, no they don’t smirk at liberals, nor do they have unbalanced panels. It may seem so to you because you’re so accustomed to left-wing nutcases presented as main stream that ordinary liberals seem conservative to you. I have never seen a talk show or panel on TV that has four conservatives and one liberal. Please tell where it is because I’d like to watch it.
Ed – You may be right about Booknotes. I haven’t watched it in years.
So what is the real message here? That a cable company can’t do something obvious There’s a news flash!), or that a weblogger can’t figure out where the “previous channel (or back or flash or whatever)” button is on his remote?
And for that matter, why not drop the 12 bucks for a programmable remote control?
Inquiring minds want to know!
To correct Goldberg somewhat, the people who call C-SPAN usually preface their remarks with, “Thank God for C-SPAN”! As in, “you give us a choice”.
Brian Lamb does a really good job at being objective. He throws hardballs at Left and Right. And, “Booknotes” is very fair.
One of their most entertaining oddball televised events was the “winter festival”
meeting of CPUSA (Communist Party – USA) they aired a few Christmases back. C-SPAN didn’t say when or where it was held (probably NYC). And, all the speakers were a hoot!
But, one bad habit C-SPAN has adopted from the biased media is the “audience reaction shot”, to show attendees agreeing or disagreeing with the speakers. Early-on, C-SPAN focused totally on the speakers, revealing them as geniuses or total asses, or somewhere in between.
Erp- Why isn’t phonetics spelled phonetically-inquiring minds want to know- And if you want to consider the drool being broadcast out there as anything but middle of the line, I’d see why you’d consider it a liberal bias. Just the thought that Fox is a fair and balanced network makes me want to puke though. They create “opinion” shows so they can spout their dribble and have an excuse as to why they side one way or another but who cares any way its their opinon
Steve,
Admit it. The entire purpose of this post was so you could use that Minelli/Gest metaphor, wasn’t it?
Kudos.
The Minelli snark was too easy. Its like mentioning Rush Limbaugh when debating the merits of Medicare prescription drugs.