Book TV
| Book TV | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre | News and public affairs |
| Created by | Brian Lamb |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Running time | 48 hours |
| Production company(s) | C-SPAN |
| Release | |
| Original release | September 1998 – present |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Book TV is the name given to weekend programming on the American cable network C-SPAN2 airing from 8 a.m. Eastern Time Saturday morning to 8 a.m. Eastern Time Monday morning each week. The 48-hour block of programming is focused on non-fiction books and authors, featuring programs in the format of interviews with authors as well as live coverage of book events from around the country.Book TV debuted on C-SPAN2 on September 12, 1998.
While the primary mission of C-SPAN2 is live coverage of the United States Senate, Book TV programs are sometimes also scheduled to air during the week when the Senate is not in session.
Book TV covers established and upcoming nonfiction authors, mainly in the subject areas of history, biography and public affairs. Approximately 2,000 authors are featured annually, and in one year may cover as many as 60,000 titles. The network's production budget for Book TV is approximately $600,000 per year.
Like C-SPAN's weekly coverage of government affairs, the Book TV the production style is "no frills", focusing on panel discussions, book signings and visits to bookstores.Book TV's coverage is weighted toward government, politics and history, in line with C-SPAN's weekly programming. However, the topics represented vary, ranging from the genealogy of Greek mythology to the “use and abuse” of the English language. While C-SPAN does not usually cover narrative fiction due to its nonfiction mission, it may occasionally be featured, as when Robert MacNeil and Jim Lehrer appeared in 1999 to talk about their novels.
Book TV interviews are characterized by a focus on the author, rather than the host, and an unstructured format allowing the author to guide the discussion. As with other C-SPAN programming, viewer call-ins are featured, allowing writers to hear directly from their readers.
The majority of the Book TV weekly lineup is coverage of author lectures, book signings, and seminars. Several weekends each year, Book TV features live coverage of major regional book fairs and festivals. There are also several regularly scheduled series: After Words, an interview show conducted by guest hosts familiar with the author's subject; and Booknotes programs from 1989 to 2004, under the title Encore Booknotes.
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