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ILLINOIS CHANNEL

Saturdays 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. on CAN TV21

Sundays 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. on CAN TV19

www.illinoischannel.org

On a good day, the state capitol in Springfield is a three-hour drive from downtown Chicago. But on Saturdays, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., state government is as close as the remote control. That's when the Illinois Channel, a state version of C-SPAN, airs on cable channel CAN TV21 and CAN TV19, respectively.

"We are very excited to be partnering with CAN TV to bring state government proceedings and public affairs coverage to Chicago. The coverage area provided by CAN TV21 means our programming is seen in 750,000 cable homes statewide," said Terry Martin, Executive Director of the Illinois Channel.

The Illinois Channel produces gavel to gavel televised coverage of government proceedings, press conferences, interviews with policy makers, political stump speeches, and policy conferences from colleges and universities around the state.

"Our schools, taxes, roads, courts, jobs and public safety are all impacted by decisions made by the governor and legislators. Providing visitors with a gallery in the state capitol is a 19th century approach to viewing state government. The Illinois Channel extends the visitor's galleries to classrooms, boardrooms and living rooms across the state," said Martin.

The Illinois Channel was launched as an independent, nonprofit corporation in January and currently produces about two hours of programming weekly. The channel is funded through corporate and foundation grants, which include funds from the Boeing Company, the Joyce Foundation, the Illinois Bar Foundation and the Chicago Bar Foundation. Those without cable, but with a broadband Internet connection can watch a video stream of the Illinois Channel's programming at www.illinoischannel.org. The website's distribution page notes when and where the channel airs in various communities.

CAN TV gives every Chicagoan a voice on cable television by providing video training, facilities, equipment and channel time for Chicago residents and nonprofit groups and by providing coverage of events relevant to the local community. Cable channels CAN TV19, 21, 27, 36 and 42 reach more than a million viewers in the city of Chicago.

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