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AP19:077

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 22, 2019
CONTACT:
SOS Press Office
(916) 653-6575

California Channel Online Archive Now Hosted by California State Archives

SACRAMENTO, CA – The California Channel’s (Cal Channel) recordings from March 6, 2012 to September 13, 2019 are now hosted and available online through the California State Archives. After the Cal Channel ceased operations this fall, the State Archives, a division of the California Secretary of State, acquired the channel’s complete archives. Recordings from prior to March 6, 2012 were not digitized by Cal Channel, but are available by request from the State Archives.

Click here to view the Cal Channel online archive.

“Transparency of the legislative process is crucial for citizens’ access to and oversight of our democracy,” said Secretary of State Alex Padilla. “For more than 25 years, Cal Channel provided a view into the proceedings of state government for all Californians. Expanding digital access to archival records has been a priority for my administration and I am proud that the Cal Channel holdings will be maintained by the State Archives.”

The Cal Channel was a public service network television channel funded entirely by California’s cable television operators from 1993-2019. The network was a means to provide Californians with direct access to “gavel-to-gavel" proceedings of the California Legislature and other public policy forums, as well as a balanced presentation of viewpoints. In 2016, California voters approved Proposition 54, which requires the Senate and Assembly to live-stream and archive their meetings online. The cable television operators that funded Cal Channel voted earlier this year to cease operations, and the video files have been transferred to the California State Archives.

To view materials that are not currently on the Cal Channel website, please consult our online catalog, Minerva, to view the California Channel’s Inventory. To request a copy of a recording that is not currently online, please contact the California State Archives reference desk at (916) 653-2246, or email the Archives staff with the date and title of the hearing being requested. It is recommended to check the inventory as it will be continually updated during the accessioning process. The State Archives does not charge patrons if they want to view the material, however there is a $10.00 fee if the patron wishes to purchase the recording.

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