C-SPAN , an
acronym for
Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, is an
American cable and
satellite television network that was created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a public service. C-SPAN televises many proceedings of the
United States federal government, as well as other
public affairs programming. The C-SPAN network includes three television channels (
C-SPAN,
C-SPAN2 and
C-SPAN3), one
radio station (
WCSP-FM) and a group of websites that provide
streaming media and archives of C-SPAN programs. C-SPAN's television channels are available to approximately 100 million cable and satellite households within the United States, while
WCSP-FM, also called C-SPAN Radio, is broadcast on
FM radio in
Washington, D.C., and is available throughout the U.S. on
XM Satellite Radio, via Internet
streaming, and through
apps for
iOS,
BlackBerry and
Android devices.