NETWORKING: C-SPAN VISITS CAPE GIRARDEAU STUDENTS

The purpose of the big, yellow school bus that sat outside of Central High School Friday morning was education rather than transportation.

The bus is one of two traveling the country to introduce students to the workings of the federal legislative branch, a mobile television production studio and the public affairs broadcasts provided by the C-SPAN cable network.

"It was really cool to have this kind of cable station coming to Central," said Sarah Muench, 18, one of many students who participated in the successful e-mail campaign that convinced C-SPAN executives to schedule a bus stop in Cape Girardeau. "C-SPAN means something to me now because I found out it doesn't have anything to do with the government in terms of funding or anything."

The mission of C-SPAN, short for the Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, is to provide public access to issues of national public policy without commentary, analysis or interruption. The network was created in 1979 by the cable television industry to provide coverage of the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1986, C-SPAN 2 was created to broadcast live sessions of the U.S. Senate.

About 5 cents of every cable subscriber's monthly bill is used to fund C-SPAN.

The C-SPAN Bus is equipped with nearly everything needed to cover live news, said spokesperson Meghan Stalebrink.

Stalebrink could not confirm a student's question regarding whether Cape Girardeau native Rush Limbaugh had been interviewed on the bus. However, she said former President George Bush and Senator Bob Dole are among dozens of noteworthy dignitaries that have been interviewed in the 45-foot buses, which are outfitted with lights, computers, robot-controlled cameras and a soundproof studio.

The bus visiting Cape Girardeau Friday was used two years ago to conduct an interview with President Bill Clinton.

"The only thing we would need to go live is a satellite dish, which we would borrow from the local cable company in the community we're visiting."

The motorcoach left Cape Girardeau en route for Memphis, Tenn. Although the majority of visits made during the 11-month long tours are made in large urban centers, Stalebrink said she enjoys the occasional jaunt to smaller towns.

"It's a nice change to come to a smaller community," she said. "We love coming to towns like this where the interest level was high and there was a genuine desire to have us here."