AT&T Sponsoring Gavel to Gavel Television Coverage of the Tennessee General Assembly

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T*, in partnership with the Tennessee General Assembly, is proud to sponsor gavel to gavel television coverage of the proceedings of the Tennessee Senate and House of Representatives for the second consecutive year.  The coverage, available statewide on Public Television, will be broadcast on the "Tennessee Channel."

The gavel-to-gavel broadcasts, which were introduced statewide for the first time last year, will feature comprehensive live and taped-delayed proceedings, including committee meetings, floor sessions, and other joint conventions.

"By bringing the day to day work of the Tennessee General Assembly to the people across the state, we are continuing to build on our efforts to make government more transparent," said Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey.  "We have received tremendous positive feedback about this service last year, and we are glad to be able to bring the legislature into the homes of our citizens."

"We are following through on our commitment to ensure the legislative process is transparent and more accessible to the public," said House Speaker Beth Harwell.  "By working with public television stations across Tennessee to bring our legislative proceedings beyond the Capitol, we are helping our citizens become more engaged and active in the legislative process.  This is the very foundation of principles on which this country was founded."

The project is funded under an agreement with the Tennessee General Assembly, with additional corporate support from AT&T. The General Assembly will be responsible for feeding the broadcast of the sessions to the Tennessee Channel. It will then run through the state's six public television stations, which provides coverage to all Tennessee viewers.

"AT&T is again proud to help sponsor the Tennessee General Assembly broadcasts over public television," said Gregg Morton, president of AT&T Tennessee. "By bringing the workings of our state's government to citizens' homes, we are able to see firsthand the critically important work of the legislature that impacts the lives of all Tennesseans."

The Tennessee General Assembly offers extensive information through their Internet website, winning the state the national "Online Democracy Award" for providing it in a user-friendly format. The legislature was also awarded the Digital Governance Award for Leadership in Digital Access for "strong government transparency and public access improvements."

"We are proud to continue this strong partnership with our state's elected leaders," said Michael LaBonia, chairman of Tennessee's Public Television Stations. "We have received some very positive responses from citizens across the state.  Having the power to see our democratic process in action, our citizens are more informed and Tennessee Public Television is proud to be a part of that."

Tennessee Public Television Stations include: WCTE/Cookeville, WTCI/Chattanooga, East Tennessee PBS WKOP/Knoxville and WETP/Sneedville, WLJT/Martin, WKNO/Memphis and WNPT/Nashville.

Citizens can check with their local public television station for the weekly schedule of legislative coverage.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

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