This article deals with an open government innovation that many cities are adopting: television coverage of city council meetings. Based on survey data from Wichita, Kansas, which has had such coverage for over a decade, it is shown that less-educated, lower-income, and minority individuals watch the coverage at least as much as the more-advantaged segments of the community. Reasons for interest in the coverage on the part of the disadvantaged are explored. The “knowledge gap” and “videomalaise” arguments suggest possible unintended and undesirable consequences of the broadcasts, but neither argument is found to be applicable in this case.
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