C-SPAN's Brian Lamb Steps Down
Brian Lamb, founder of C-SPAN, and one of Reason's "35 Heroes of Freedom" (as selected for our 35th anniversary issue), is handing control of his baby over to his "two lieutenants, Rob Kennedy and Susan Swain." Reports The New York Times:
Effective April 1, they will become the co-chief executives of C-Span and Mr. Lamb will become the executive chairman, formalizing a management change that has been years in the making. Mr. Lamb will continue to host "Q&A," his Sunday night interview program, and will pursue other interests, like teaching.
The announcement will come on Monday, 33 years to the day that C-Span — short for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network — came onto cable television, predating CNN and ESPN.
C-Span's commitment to carry every minute of the proceedings of the United States House of Representatives without commercials is taken for granted now, but it was an extraordinary act at the time, since most Americans then saw of Congress only what was reported on the nightly news and in newspapers.
It's always gratifying to see a classy media entrepreneur create what at least looks like a seamless succession plan….
Is Brian Lamb a libertarian? Watch Nick Gillespie's great 2010 interview with the master below, or read the partial transcript we ran in the magazine.