 PCN's headquarters inCamp Hill, Pennsylvania | |
| Type | Public affairs network |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Broadcast area | Pennsylvania |
| Headquarters | Camp Hill, Pennsylvania |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Pennsylvania Educational Communications Systems |
| Key people | David R. Breidinger (Chairman) |
| History | |
| Founded | August 29, 1979 (1979-08-29) |
| Launched | September 1979 (1979-09) |
| Links | |
| Website | pcntv |
| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| PCN Select Streaming Service | pcntv |
PCN (thePennsylvania Cable Network) is a private, non-profit cable television network dedicated to 24-hour coverage ofgovernment andpublic affairs in theCommonwealth ofPennsylvania. Built on theC-SPAN model, it features live coverage of both Houses of thePennsylvania General Assembly, as well as other forms of informational and educational programming. It is available on every cable system in the state, and is also available on line through thePCN Select subscription service.
The non-profit Pennsylvania Educational Communications System (PECS) was founded on August 29, 1979[1] byGeorge Barco, who became the first president, his daughterYolanda Barco and Joseph Gans. It was funded by eleven Pennsylvaniacable television companies, and provided a network for distributingEducational-access television programming fromPennsylvania State University and headquartered inUniversity Park, Pennsylvania. The network was officially launched in September of that year asPennarama. Penn State had already launched Pennarama on an experimental basis in 1976 on a single cable system inScranton.[2] Both credit and non-credit courses were offered. The courses were available to all cable subscribers, but to get credit for the course, students needed to pay tuition that was offered at a reduced rate.[3] The network was originally transmitted through a 796- milemicrowave network.[1]
George Barco died in 1989 and Yolanda Barco became president in 1990. She renamed it the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) and began to reposition it as the state's "educational, public affairs and cultural cable TV network."[4] In 1992, PCN began moving away from a strictly educational format, with its coverage ofGovernorBob Casey's "Capitol for a Day"town hall meetings. In November 1993, PCN began to air public affairs programming four nights a week, eventually expanding to 7 nights a week by April 1995. In June 1994, the network began to be distributed via satellite, allowing it to expand its reach to the entire state.[5][1]
PCN ended its relationship with Penn State on September 1, 1996, and assumed full responsibility for the network's operations and programming. The headquarters were also moved toCamp Hill, Pennsylvania. Around this time, PCN also began broadcasting programming fromDeutsche Welle during the overnight hours.[6] Its funding comes from the cable companies that carry PCN, and it receives neither commonwealth nor federal funds.
In addition to the Camp Hill headquarters (located nearHarrisburg, the commonwealth capital), PCN also has bureaus inPhiladelphia andPittsburgh.[7]
The majority of PCN's programming is live, unedited coverage of both houses of the General Assembly,press conferences, and meetings of various political and business organizations. PCN also featurestours of Pennsylvania manufacturing plants, coverage of the annual State Farm Show,walking tours of Gettysburg Battlefield, andCall-in Programs with the state's political figures."PA Books" a weekly show featuring authors of books on Pennsylvania topics, has been running since 1996. PCN also televisesWeather World, a fifteen-minute weather program from the Pennsylvania State University Department of Meteorology.
Coverage ofPennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) championships in most sports is also produced and broadcast by PCN. PCN also broadcasts college sports fromLebanon Valley College andAlvernia University.[8]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
