Cable Contact:
Katherine Gessner
MCTV
330-833-5509
kgessner@mctvohio.com
C‑SPAN BUS TAKES CAMPAIGN 2020 BATTLEGROUND STATES TOUR
BUS TO VISIT MASSILLON, OHIO ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MCTV
WASHINGTON (Tuesday, October 2) – Partnering with MCTV, C-SPAN’s award-winning Bus will visit Massillon on October 4 to engage students, teachers, community members and elected officials. The stop by the state-of-the-art, 45-foot customized mobile classroom and production studio is part of a seven-week tour of 10 states, including some battleground states that will play a pivotal role in the 2020 presidential election.
After kicking off Sept. 4 in Iowa, where the first caucuses in the nation are held, the Bus will travel to Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. The tour ends Oct. 18 in New Hampshire, which holds the first primary election in the country.
In some cities along the tour, the Bus will host guests for live interviews during C-SPAN's signature morning call-in program, Washington Journal. Guests will discuss the role these battleground states have in the upcoming election.
"These states will be among the key battlegrounds in the 2020 presidential race," said Steve Scully, Political Editor for C-SPAN. "By visiting these communities, C-SPAN will provide another component to our extensive Campaign 2020 coverage and give our viewers an in-depth, unfiltered look at politics, from the early days on the campaign trail right up to Inauguration Day."
Bus visitors will also be invited to share their thoughts on issues they want presidential candidates to address during the campaign as part of the "Voices from the Road" project. During the Battleground States Tour, students and educators will learn about C-SPAN's national documentary competition, StudentCam. Awarding $100,000 in prize money annually, the competition challenges students to produce a 5-to-6-minute documentary using C-SPAN video to explore a local or national issue of importance. This year's theme, "What's Your Vision in 2020?," asks students to explore the issue they most want presidential candidates to address during the campaign.
Through interactive kiosks and demonstrations aboard the Bus, visitors will learn about C-SPAN's in-depth coverage of the American political process, Campaign 2020 programming and comprehensive online educational resources, including C-SPAN.org. The website includes an extensive video library containing over 252,000 hours of searchable content for viewing, research and education purposes.
“MCTV is dedicated to the communities we serve,” states Katherine Gessner, president of MCTV. “Because our offices are local and our team live, play and work in the area, we have a vested interest in making sure our communities stay vibrant for years to come. We are beyond excited to partner with C-SPAN to bring the C-SPAN Bus to a few of our local community schools to help educate young minds on a behind the scenes look at politics today.”
EVENTS (press invited):
Friday, October 4 - 9am-10:30 Massillon Intermediate School
250 29th Street NW, Massillon, OH 44647
Friday, October 4 - 11am-12:30 Massillon Washington High School
1 Paul Brown Dr. SE, Massillon, OH 44647
In Massillon, C-SPAN programming is provided by MCTV as a commercial-free public service and can be seen on channel 76, C-SPAN2 on channel 77 and on the web at C-SPAN.org. Funding for C-SPAN operations, including Bus visits, is provided by cable and satellite TV providers.
Media can access photos and videos of the new C-SPAN Bus online here for reporting purposes. Fans can follow the adventures of the C-SPAN Bus on Twitter and Instagram @cspanbus and online at
About the C-SPAN Bus: Since 1993, a C-SPAN Bus has traveled across the nation visiting schools and community events in partnership with C-SPAN's cable and satellite providers. Bus visitors engage with C-SPAN representatives and interactive tools to learn about the unique public affairs programming and online resources such as C-SPAN Classroom — the network's free membership service for teachers and students. Aboard the high-tech, interactive C-SPAN Bus, you'll find:
- Access to an exclusive interactive experience available on 11 large-screen tablets featuring C-SPAN programming and myriad political and educational resources
- A smart TV and classroom area for conversations with students and teachers
- A high-definition TV production studio for taped and live programming
- A 360-degree video station featuring C-SPAN's unfiltered coverage of high-profile events and insightful, behind-the-scenes tours of U.S. landmarks
- A D.C.-themed selfie station where visitors can share their Bus experiences through social media
About C‐SPAN: C-SPAN, the public affairs network providing Americans with unfiltered access to congressional proceedings, was created in 1979 as a public service by the cable television industry and is now wholly funded through fees paid by cable and satellite companies that provide C-SPAN programming. C-SPAN connects with millions of Americans through its three commercial-free tv networks, C-SPAN Radio, the C-SPAN Radio App, C-SPAN.org and various social media platforms. C-SPAN's robust public affairs programming includes national and international public policy conversations; signature call-in programs such as its popular morning show, Washington Journal; book and author discussions on C-SPAN2's Book TV; a chronicle of America's past on C-SPAN3's American History TV and more. The network's video-rich website contains over 252,000 hours of searchable and shareable content, archived since 1987 for educational and reporting purpose. C-SPAN can be seen in the community at book fairs, social studies and teacher conferences, historical events, visiting landmarks across the country with the C-SPAN Cities Tour or bringing the 45-foot C-SPAN Bus to hundreds of schools nationwide. Learn more about C-SPAN at C-SPAN.org/about/faq/. Engage with C-SPAN on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, and stay connected through weekly and daily newsletters.
About MCTV:
MCTV “goes the extra smile” for its customers, adding high-touch service to high-tech telecommunications. Since 1965, MCTV’s 160 local employees have been serving their neighbors with a full complement of advanced broadband products for home and business including High-Speed Internet, digital TV, Phone, television advertising, dedicated fiber optic connections and security systems. More than 50,000 homes and businesses in Stark, Wayne, Summit, Carroll, Monroe, Holmes, Jefferson, Columbiana and Tuscarawas Counties rely on MCTV for their telecommunications needs.
