It is in the process of beginning gavel to gavel legislative coverage and is scheduled to begin uplinking later this year with substantial statewide coverage. Minnesota - The Minnesota Senate and House each have a television production department responsible for televising legislative proceedings. The departments are funded as part of the legislative budget. In addition, the legislature appropriates funds for distributing the program locally on an UHF public television station and to cable outlets in greater Minnesota. New Jersey - The New Jersey senate agreed in 1996 to allow for gavel to gavel coverage by CTN, a nonprofit arm of the cable industry with a substantial statewide distribution cable network.
Discussions are underway with the h ouse regarding possible coverage.
Coverage provided included hous e and senate floor action and limited committee hearings. The legislature also provided a closed circuit feed beginning in 1997. PCN is a 24-hour channel with up to 14 hours per day falling i nto the public affairs category including gavel to gavel state government coverage. Founded in 1979, PCN is carried in more than two million homes. Programming is uplinked.