The launch of Wisconsin Eye's new television channel earlier this month provides state residents with unlimited access to Wisconsin government in a format similar to C-SPAN.
Wisconsin Eye is a privately funded, non-profit organization that aims to provide the public with complete coverage of news from Capitol building. The organization began broadcasting live coverage of state government action in April 2006 on its website.
Wisconsin Eye launched a redesigned website and a cable channel devoted entirely to coverage of public affairs and state government.
President of Wisconsin Eye Christopher Long said the channel is very important to the citizens of Wisconsin.
""Think of us as a state-wide C-SPAN, covering civic and community life and the action of government in Madison, but also taking a look across the state at local communities and their issues as well.""
Long said cameras and infrastructure have been installed throughout the Capitol and will allow Wisconsin Eye to broadcast from the state Senate and Assembly chambers, from the governor's office, the committee hearing rooms, the state attorney general's office and the state Supreme Court chambers.
""The goal of Wisconsin Eye is to cover representative government and not only show those representatives in action, the governor and the lawmakers and the legislature, but also the people and communities that are being represented here. It's a two-way process,"" Long said.
UW-Madison professor of journalism James Hoyt said he is anticipating the project.
""It's a wonderful opportunity for the citizens of Wisconsin to get a first-hand look of their government in action,"" Hoyt said. ""They will not be seeing digested, edited, summaries, headlines, etc. It will be showing the operation of the state agencies and state government in a very thorough way.""
All of the material broadcasted on the Wisconsin Eye channel, as well as the website, will be archived and available for viewing 24 hours a day on the web, according to Long.
""I think it's a very important function for the citizens and also the government,"" Hoyt said. ""A government that operates in the sunshine, under cameras aware that people are watching operates much better than government isn't being closely scrutinized.""
Long agreed. ""It's not only about representative government, it's what's being represented. The whole idea is to show the kind of range of issues and communities that find common ground here in the Capitol and constitute Wisconsin,"" he said.
The Wisconsin Eye channel is currently available online, and will be available via cable television through Charter Communications with a connection signal from Time Warner Cable.
