C-SPAN Study Finds Almost Quarter of Cable/Satellite Subs Watch Weekly

According to a new study commissioned by C-SPAN, at least 47 million people tune in to the public affairs net at least once a week, with young, politically active viewers the largest segment.

That 47 million is almost a quarter (24%) of those with a cable or satellite subscription and up 4% from the last quadrennial viewership survey. According to the demographic breakdown, the audience is 51% male and 49% female, with 47% of those college graduates. Viewership is highest among the 18-to-49-year-old demographic, with 28% of those watching at least once a week. That is the key TV sales demo, though C-SPAN remains a commercial-free service of the cable industry. Not surprisingly, those viewers are politically active, with 89% saying they voted in the last presidential election and over a third saying they have contacted their House or Senate members. And those members span the political spectrum. The study found that 26% of C-SPAN viewers describe themselves as "liberal," 31% as "conservative" and 39% as "moderate."