# State of the State (TV series)

State of the State is a public affairs and political talk show, in a studio setting, hosted by John Carlevale and others. The show airs in Rhode Island on:
Cox Communications cable channel 13, Verizon FiOS channel 32, and i3 Broadband Channel 13 on Saturdays at 11:00pm and Sundays at 8:00am.
Cox Communications cable channel 18, Verizon FiOS channel 32, and i3 Broadband Channel 18 on Mondays at 9:00pm and Thursdays at 9:00pm.
The subject matter varies greatly, but the topics are primarily related to Rhode Island's political scene.
The show employs two formats: the primary format is interview-style produced in the studio with a host and one or more guests. Guests are either public officials or private citizens speaking about timely topics of public interest. The second format is to present events of public interest which occur outside of the studio, such as public hearings, public meetings, or Operation Clean Government-sponsored events, including Annual Meetings, educational forums, and biennial Candidate Schools.

## History

The show was created by John Carlevale, Joe Devine, Don Gill, and Robert Plante in 1992 in the wake of the credit union crisis (45 banks and credit unions in the state closed due to the collapse of their private insurer, the Rhode Island Share and Deposit Indemnity Corporation (RISDIC)). From 2001 to 2012 Operation Clean Government, a Rhode Island government watchdog group, sponsored the show. In 2012 State of the State Communications, the original sponsor of the television show, was reincorporated and resumed sponsorship.
State of the State is taped at a PEG-RI (the Public, educational, and government access (PEG) cable TV channel provider) studio in Providence, Rhode Island on a bi-weekly basis. Shows are recorded in realtime (live-to-tape format) which means that the television show is recorded as if it were on live television, with no video editing of the content in the show.
The show is sent to the statewide playback location at PEG-RI and distributed to the cable television providers of Rhode Island.

## Awards received

At the 2009 PEG-RI Awards, State of the State received a special recognition award for an episode hosted by Ian Lonngren and produced by John Carlevale - an interview of freshman Rhode Island legislators.
At the 2011 Rhode Island PEG Awards, State of the State received a PEG Award for Best Public Service Announcement.
At the 2012 Rhode Island PEG Awards, State of the State received a Special Recognition Award for Best Political/Community Issues Program for its production of “RI Primary Elections Results.”

## Guests

Some of State of the State's guests include:

### Rhode Island state and municipal officials

Donald Carcieri, Governor Frank T. Caprio, General Treasurer A. Ralph Mollis, Secretary of State
Elizabeth Roberts, Lt. Governor
David Cicilline, Democratic mayor of Providence Marc Cote, Democratic State Senator, District 24 Laurence Ehrhardt, Republican State Representative and Deputy Minority Whip, District 32 Allan Fung, Republican mayor of Cranston Daniel J. McKee, Democratic mayor of Cumberland Leo Raptakis, Democratic State Senator, District 33 James Sheehan, Democratic State Senator, District 36 Robert A. Watson, Republican State Representative and Minority Leader, District 30 Timothy Williamson, Democratic State Representative, District 25

### former Rhode Island federal, state, and municipal officials

U.S. Senator Lincoln Chafee Governor Bruce Sundlun Lt. Governor Roger Begin Lt. Governor Charles J. Fogarty Supreme Court Justice Robert Flanders Attorney General Arlene Violet Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse Secretary of State William Inman Secretary of State Barbara Leonard Mayor Steve Laffey of Cranston

### Media

Edward Achorn, Providence Journal editor M. Charles Bakst, former Providence Journal political columnist Mike Stanton, Providence Journal journalist

### Others

John Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island Philip West, former executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas of the Narragansett tribe Ken Block, Chairman of the Moderate Party

## Hosts

* Joe Devine, the original host (retired)
* John Carlevale, second and longest-serving host
* Anne Gardner; Ian Lonngren; Carol Mumford; Roy Pruett and Barry Schiller are more recent members of the host team.

## Guest hosts

State of the State's guest hosts through the years have included:
Robert Arruda, former Operation Clean Government Chairman Spencer Dickinson, a Rhode Island State Representative Andy Galli Anne Gardner Bruce R. Lang, co-founder of Operation Clean Government and first OCG Chairman Frank Lennon Elizabeth Ann Leonard Ian Lonngren Victor Moffitt Carol Mumford, a former Rhode Island State Representative John Patterson Barry Schiller Harry Staley, co-founder of Rhode Island Statewide Coalition Larry Valencia, former president of Operation Clean Government and a Rhode Island State Representative