Cable network C-SPAN selected Madison as a featured city of its 2014 Cities Tour, showcasing historical and literary aspects of Madison on its nationwide network.
The tour is part of the series, which premiered in 2011. Debbie Lamb, the coordinating producer for C-SPAN Cities Tour, said C-SPAN was attracted by many special features of Madison.
“We came to Madison, because it’s the capital of Wisconsin, to see how it has developed throughout the years, and because there is a great literary culture of nonfiction authors here,” Lamb said.
C-SPAN’s producing team will visit various locations around Madison to interview local historians, authors and civic leaders over the course of the week, according to a statement.
Among the historical sites of Madison the tour plans to feature are the State Capitol, the Vietnam War era protests, the Wisconsin Historical Society and University of Wisconsin Libraries.
The Book TV program will feature local authors, including Ron McCrea, author of “Building Taliesin,” and “Dollarocracy” author John Nichols.
The tour showcases cities that C-SPAN’s national audience won’t always get to experience by highlighting each city’s public policies and cultural tradition, according to Lamb.
“Our national audience gets a chance to get an inside look at Madison and its rich heritage,” she said.
C-SPAN is teaming up with the Charter Communications in Madison to bring the tour in Madison to life, she said.
https://twitter.com/CharterComPR/status/524212050181251073
They reached out to Charter because the cable industry has local means to keep viewers informed, Lamb said.
“C-SPAN came to us and sought a partnership and asked us to help us with the Madison portion of the tour,” Kim Haas, a spokesperson for Madison-based Charter Communications, said. “We basically are helping organize it and offer input, just wanting to be a good host.”
This is a great opportunity to showcase the city, since Madison has such a rich history and vibrant charm, Haas said.
Every first and third weekend of each month, a city in the United States is featured with seven segments on its unique history and nonfiction authors.
The Madison portion of the Cities Tour will air Nov. 15 and 16 on Book TV on C-SPAN2, Charter channels 76, 997 and 742 in HD. American History TV segments will be broadcast on C-SPAN3, Charter channels 88, 996 and 743 in HD.
