Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
The bright yellow bus was larger than the other ones lining up at Lakeview Middle School Tuesday. And it wasn't going to be making any drop-offs, either.
It was the C-SPAN School Bus, and it was stopping at Lakeview, a visit sponsored by Marcus Cable.
"We have two buses that have been touring all 50 states in the United States," said Monique Lannos, C-SPAN affiliate relations representative. "We've even taken the buses to Hawaii and Alaska."
C-SPAN and the two buses used to tour the country are funded by the cable industry, she said. Each subscriber pays approximately 6 cents per month that is paid to C-SPAN for its programming.
"We're funded by the cable industry as a public service to their customers," Lannos said.
The bus, in addition to encouraging young students to develop an interest in current political events and the workings of our federal government, also serves as a production studio, where programming can be originated while it tours the country.
"This is one of two buses that we have touring the country," Lannos said. "We are out on the road usually three weeks out of each month. Each bus is staffed with an affiliate representative, a technical director and a driver."
The program started in November 1993 and the buses have continually toured the country ever since. Each 45-foot bus costs nearly $900,000.
"The bus is equipped with three television cameras, an eight-channel audio board, a complete studio-quality lighting system, radio communication system, two cellular phone lines, a fax/modem and a character generator for communication between the call-in producer and the host," said technical director Angela Scandora-Knighton.
The bus also has three color monitors, two videotape machines, two laser disc players and a personal computer.
The bus arrived in Warsaw from Riverforest, Ill., Lannos said. Its next stops include Lafayette, Indianapolis and Louisville, Ky.
