A statewide public affairs network began broadcasting oral arguments in the State Supreme Court Wednesday by airing coverage of three cases.
WisconsinEye entered into a contract with the state in 2005 to televise all three branches of Wisconsin government, beginning with the legislature.
Chris Long, president and CEO of WisconsinEye, said the company was slated to broadcast a second branch of government, either the judiciary or executive branch, by May 2008.
"We have broadcast contracts with the state … to cover the legislature and expand to cover the other two branches of government," Long said. "There is no deadline … but we've been committed to covering all three branches as soon as we have the resources available to do so."
Long added that while all of the Supreme Court's oral arguments will be televised, some will be broadcast live and other sessions shown on tape delay because WisconsinEye only has one channel on which to air all programming.
"We have our existing coverage commitments with the legislature," Long said. "We're required to air live any of the floor sessions of the Assembly or the Senate."
Televised legislative sessions — which began in July 2007 — have been well received throughout Wisconsin, according to Long.
"We've had very good feedback from the general audience and the legislators themselves," Long said.
Long said several states across the country have public access channels that air legislature sessions and other meetings of branches of government. Three statewide channels in the nation cover all three branches.
"We think this is another very important step in terms of our mission of providing public access to the actions of government," Long said. "This is a historic day."
Legislators have taken note of the cameras, Long said. WisconsinEye plans on sending the court a DVD of yesterday's programming for feedback.
"If you watch the coverage, the legislators are referring to the fact that it’s being televised," Long said. "They're aware people are able to watch the process through our network."
University of Wisconsin political science professor Donald Downs said citizens — in addition to legislators — can learn valuable information about the state's political process by watching government arguments on TV.
"[People] will benefit from seeing how the Supreme Court thinks during the hearings," Downs said. "They'll see the kinds of questions they ask."
Despite the potential benefits, Downs said most students will probably not watch the coverage.
"No one but zealots will watch it all the time," Downs said. "Students who watch it will see that law is not an exact science. It is based on interpretation and argument."
