This is from Michael Kilgore…and I should note again that one reason I blog (I get asked a lot why) is that I can ask a question and get an answer from someone who knows…
If you really, really want to know the arcane, satellite-TV-law reasons why DirecTV chooses infomercial and religious channels over C-SPAN 3, read on. If not, I completely understand.
Satellite providers, as part of their FCC licenses, are required to carry a certain number of Public Interest (PI) channels for free to all subscribers. The PI channels have to be non-commercial, and they have to be from different sources. So carrying C-SPAN 1, 2 & 3 only satisfies one channel against the quota because they're all from the same source. C-SPAN and a couple of different flavors of religious channels take up the same space but count as three against the quota.
No one requires anyone to carry infomercials (thank goodness!), but the economics are reversed. These channels actually pay the carrier a few dimes per subscriber per month to be in the lineup. (Or they cut the carrier in for a percentage of sales, but you get the idea.) That's why they're favored over good free channels with little demand.
C-SPAN isn't free to carriers. According to a reputable list, it costs 5 cents per subscriber/month. Dunno about C-SPAN 2 and 3; they might be included if you pay for C-SPAN.
I'm guessing they aren't…so I guess it just comes down to the fact that I'd rather they spent the nickel on C-SPAN 3 than on the DIY Network. And they probably would if they felt more subscribers felt as I do.
What I guess I'd really like is for C-SPAN's coverage of Congress (and just that) to be underwritten by the government and made available free to all. I think it says something very good about this country that we let everyone who's interested watch this process. I am not, as you may recall, in favor of the government funding PBS or really any of the Arts…a position that horrifies many of my friends. I would not even be in favor of Uncle Sam paying for the parts of C-SPAN where they interview authors or let folks call-in and yell at public figures…or anything other than pointing cameras at Your Government at Work. That would cause too many arguments about whether those shows are, ahem, fair and balanced. I just think you should be able to see your Congressperson or Senator doing their job…or not doing it, as the case may be.