Comments on: 11. Congressional Video http://www.theopenhouseproject.com Recommendations, Resources, and Reform Thu, 03 Sep 2009 00:18:16 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Carl Malamud Strikes Again | The Open House Project http://www.theopenhouseproject.com/the-open-house-project-report/11-congressional-video/comment-page-1/#comment-240 Carl Malamud Strikes Again | The Open House Project Mon, 20 Aug 2007 21:04:55 +0000 http://www.theopenhouseproject.com/the-open-house-project-report/11-congressional-video/#comment-240 [...] Both pieces cited above provide extensive background on Carl’s work, including information about his recent success in getting four congressional committees to upload high resolution video for public consumption, helping move toward one of our goals: free and open video access to digitized congressional hearings and floor activity. [...] [...] Both pieces cited above provide extensive background on Carl’s work, including information about his recent success in getting four congressional committees to upload high resolution video for public consumption, helping move toward one of our goals: free and open video access to digitized congressional hearings and floor activity. [...]

]]> By: Joshua Tauberer http://www.theopenhouseproject.com/the-open-house-project-report/11-congressional-video/comment-page-1/#comment-46 Joshua Tauberer Sat, 12 May 2007 18:03:14 +0000 http://www.theopenhouseproject.com/the-open-house-project-report/11-congressional-video/#comment-46 Thanks for your comments, and you're right about how important video is. By the de facto monopoly, we meant that while in principle others could record and broadcast the videos (any member of the press galleries, for instance (iirc)), C-SPAN is the only one to do so comprehensively, and so it is the only real public source. Thanks for your comments, and you’re right about how important video is. By the de facto monopoly, we meant that while in principle others could record and broadcast the videos (any member of the press galleries, for instance (iirc)), C-SPAN is the only one to do so comprehensively, and so it is the only real public source.

]]> By: eyeswideoopen http://www.theopenhouseproject.com/the-open-house-project-report/11-congressional-video/comment-page-1/#comment-45 eyeswideoopen Sat, 12 May 2007 12:53:32 +0000 http://www.theopenhouseproject.com/the-open-house-project-report/11-congressional-video/#comment-45 I'm not clear on what you mean "de facto" monopoly. They either have a contract for exclusivity or they don't. And if they do, then you might have a case to challenge it because they aren't posting all that they have. For example, I just read an article titled, "The Madness of War Profiteering in Iraq" on AlterNet. It's about Robert Greenwald's testimony to Congress on war profiteering. I went to the C-Span website to watch the hearing for myself. I found the testimony of Peter Pace and Gates - but no testimony by Greenwald. Truthfully, I've been pretty annoyed with C-Span over the past year or so. They aren't posting all of the videos on committee hearings they have. The Webmaster has disabled the search facility and they are categorizing the videos so a researcher has to hunt for them and page through. I don't think these things are "technical gliches". I've written them a number of emails on these issues (assuming oversights or bugs) but since there has never been a response - and nothing is ever fixed, it has to be intentional. I'm sure you are aware that the House website is undergoing redesign. "Curiously", the archived video of hearings has been removed. Since the videos were there - and available for the public to view and now they are gone, I'm suspicious about that also. My feelings are that despite the pronouncements of greater transparency, since the democrats took over, the window into the actions of Congress is closing. C-Span is selectively posting videos and the House isn't posting anything. And frankly, as far as all the technobabble about formats and quality and the rest of it - I can tell you that the quality of the videos of committee hearings that were posted on the House website were just fine. As long as I can see the people and hear what they have to say, that's all I care about. Whatever you have to do to get the video archives of hearings back online - either through c-span or the House, that's what you should do because they are a critical resource that can't be replaced by hardcopy transcripts. I’m not clear on what you mean “de facto” monopoly. They either have a contract for exclusivity or they don’t. And if they do, then you might have a case to challenge it because they aren’t posting all that they have. For example, I just read an article titled, “The Madness of War Profiteering in Iraq” on AlterNet. It’s about Robert Greenwald’s testimony to Congress on war profiteering. I went to the C-Span website to watch the hearing for myself. I found the testimony of Peter Pace and Gates – but no testimony by Greenwald.

Truthfully, I’ve been pretty annoyed with C-Span over the past year or so. They aren’t posting all of the videos on committee hearings they have. The Webmaster has disabled the search facility and they are categorizing the videos so a researcher has to hunt for them and page through. I don’t think these things are “technical gliches”. I’ve written them a number of emails on these issues (assuming oversights or bugs) but since there has never been a response – and nothing is ever fixed, it has to be intentional.

I’m sure you are aware that the House website is undergoing redesign. “Curiously”, the archived video of hearings has been removed. Since the videos were there – and available for the public to view and now they are gone, I’m suspicious about that also.

My feelings are that despite the pronouncements of greater transparency, since the democrats took over, the window into the actions of Congress is closing. C-Span is selectively posting videos and the House isn’t posting anything.

And frankly, as far as all the technobabble about formats and quality and the rest of it – I can tell you that the quality of the videos of committee hearings that were posted on the House website were just fine. As long as I can see the people and hear what they have to say, that’s all I care about.

Whatever you have to do to get the video archives of hearings back online – either through c-span or the House, that’s what you should do because they are a critical resource that can’t be replaced by hardcopy transcripts.

]]>