Michigan Government Television (MGTV) collection
Scope and Content
The collection consists of daily programming schedules and videorecordings received from Michigan Government Television (MGTV) during its operation. Coverage includes the televised broadcasts of proceedings of the House of Representatives, the Senate, oral arguments at the Supreme Court, speakers at the Economic Club of Detroit, commencement speakers at universities in the state, press conferences of state officials, committee and commission meetings of many state departments, live phone-in programs, speakers on public policy and special historical programs and conferences. Many speakers are nationally known political and business leaders.
During election years, candidates for national political offices visited the state of Michigan for campaign events and debates some of which were televised by MGTV. Also televised were MGTV election forums, state political party conventions, discussion and interview programs with candidates for state offices.
Special educational programs include a program about Michigan's Civil War Battle Flags (broadcast on April 17, 2000), a program titled "Defining moments: Frank Murphy, Fred Korematsu and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II" (broadcast on March 9, 2004), and a reenactment of Teddy Roosevelt's 1907 speech to the Michigan state legislature (broadcast May 31, 2007).
The Michigan State University Spartans Men's Basketball team and 2000 NCAA Champions were honored at a Capitol Rally which was broadcast on April 7, 2000.
A program at the Capitol honoring the 1968 World Series Champions Detroit Tigers was broadcast on December 3, 2003.
Michigan high school civics events such as mock elections, the "We the People" program and the Youth in Government program are also included in the televised proceedings.
From July 15, 1996 through February 2003, the programming was recorded on VHS tape. Beginning February 2003, the programming was placed on DVD. The last recording was January 16, 2013. Digitized recordings and records are also included in this collection.
An archive of MGTV website can be found at https://web.archive.org/web/20130305143747/http://www.mgtv.org/
Dates
- 1996 - 2013
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.
Historical Note
Discussions by Michigan Cable Telecommunications Association (MCTA) and research into the feasibility of creating a cable network to cover the workings of Michigan state government in a similar manner to the national C-SPAN networks coverage of the federal government led cable companies and Gov. John Engler to launch a state run television operation in 1993. An initial investment of $1.5 million provided state-of-the-art equipment, covering the state House and Senate, Michigan Supreme Court, press conferences and other activities.
In 1995, the cable industry (Comcast, Charter Communications, Bright House Networks, Broadstripe, and Time Warner Cable) offered to take over Michigan Government Television (MGTV) and reorganize it as a non-profit 501 (c) 3 corporation with a Board of Directors composed of cable industry executives. The network would be completely independent of state government, financed by the cable industry through cable subscription fees, and editorial control of programming would reside entirely in the hands of the corporation’s executive director. The governor’s office turned over the project to the cable industry in December 1995.
MGTV launched on July 15, 1996. Programming covered events and proceedings within the state government, including sessions of the Michigan House of Representatives and the Michigan Senate, commission meetings from within the executive branch and state board of education, press conferences, speeches by policy makers, and events made available by the state’s universities.
When it began to air oral arguments from Michigan’s Supreme Court in October of 1996, MGTV became the second television network in U.S. history to carry live coverage of a state’s highest court.
In January 2013, MGTV discontinued satellite delivery to cable stations to focus on internet delivery of its signal. Many government access television stations discontinued coverage at that time. It was later shut down entirely due to lack of funding.
[Source: Wikipedia and press releases.]
Extent
100 Cubic Feet (paper, VHS tapes and DVDs, electronic records)
Language of Materials
English
Location
Some materials are stored off-site. Advance notice of 24 hours is required for use.
Legal Status
Copyright: Michigan State University.
Property Rights: Michigan State University.
- AFL-CIO
- Ali, Muhammad, 1942-2016
- American Society for Public Administration. Michigan Capital Area Chapter
- Badger (Ferry)
- Bush, George W. (George Walker), 1946-
- Campaign debates
- Campaign debates -- Michigan
- Carter, Jimmy, 1924-
- Central Michigan University
- Clinton, Bill, 1946-
- Clinton, Hillary Rodham
- Commencement ceremonies
- Council of Michigan Foundations
- Democratic Party (Mich.)
- Detroit Free Press Co
- Detroit News (Firm)
- Detroit Regional Chamber
- Detroit Tigers (Baseball team) -- General subdivision--History;
- Eastern Michigan University
- Economic Club of Detroit
- Elections -- Michigan
- Ferris State University
- Flags
- Gerald R. Ford Museum
- Governors -- Elections -- Michigan
- Grand Valley State University
- Green Party of the United States
- Habitat for Humanity, inc
- High school students -- Michigan -- Political activity
- Inauguration
- Jackson, Jesse, 1941-
- James Madison College
- Journalists -- Michigan
- Judges -- Michigan
- Kelley, Frank J. (Frank Joseph), 1924-
- Lansing (Mich.) -- Buildings, structures, etc.
- Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce
- Lansing State Journal
- Legislative bodies -- Michigan -- Television broadcasting of proceedings
- Legislative speeches
- Levin, Carl, 1934-
- Live television programs
- Mackinac Center for Public Policy
- McNamara, Pat, 1894-1966
- McPherson, M. Peter
- Michigan -- Capital and capitol
- Michigan -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
- Michigan -- Politics and government
- Michigan Aeronautics Commission
- Michigan Association of Counties
- Michigan Civil Rights Commission
- Michigan Council for the Arts
- Michigan Nonprofit Association
- Michigan Osteopathic Association
- Michigan Political History Society
- Michigan Press Association
- Michigan State Capitol (Lansing, Mich.) -- General subdivision--History;
- Michigan State Chamber of Commerce
- Michigan State University
- Michigan State University. Board of Trustees
- Michigan State University. College of Communication Arts and Sciences
- Michigan State University. Institute for Public Policy and Social Research
- Michigan State University. Michigan Political Leadership Program
- Michigan State University. School of Journalism
- Michigan Technological University
- Michigan Trial Court Assessment Commission
- Michigan Vietnam Monument (Lansing, Mich.)
- Michigan Women's Commission
- Michigan. Board of State Canvassers
- Michigan. Department of Agriculture
- Michigan. Department of Attorney General
- Michigan. Department of Corrections
- Michigan. Department of Environmental Quality
- Michigan. Department of History, Arts and Libraries
- Michigan. Department of Management and Budget
- Michigan. Department of Natural Resources
- Michigan. Department of Transportation
- Michigan. Department of Treasury
- Michigan. Governor (1835-1840 : Mason)
- Michigan. Governor (1969-1983 : Milliken)
- Michigan. Governor (1983-1991 : Blanchard)
- Michigan. Governor (1991-2003 : Engler)
- Michigan. Governor (2003-2011 : Granholm)
- Michigan. Governor (2011- : Snyder)
- Michigan. Legislature. House of Representatives
- Michigan. Legislature. Senate
- Michigan. Legislature. Television broadcasting of proceedings
- Michigan. Public Service Commission
- Michigan. State Board of Education
- Michigan. Supreme Court
- Michigan. Supreme Court. Television broadcasting of proceedings
- Mulhern, Daniel Granholm
- National Association of Social Workers. Michigan Chapter
- Nonfiction television programs
- Northern Michigan University
- Oakland Community College
- Obama, Barack
- Political conventions -- Michigan
- Political parties -- Michigan
- Presidential candidates
- Press conferences
- Public service television programs
- Radulovich, Milo, 1926-2007
- Ranville, Michael, 1943-
- Republican Party (Mich.)
- Riley, Dorothy Comstock
- Romney, George W., 1907-1995
- Simon, Lou Anna Kimsey
- Small Business Association of Michigan
- Stabenow, Debbie
- State Bar of Michigan
- Swainson, John B. (John Burley), 1925-1994
- Televised speeches
- Television broadcasting of court proceedings
- Television debates
- Thomas M. Cooley Law School
- United Negro College Fund
- United States Postal Service
- United States. Department of Labor
- University of Michigan
- University of Michigan--Flint
- University of Michigan. Board of Regents
- University of Michigan. School of Education
- University of Michigan. Wolverine Caucus
- Video recordings
- Video tapes
- Wayne State University
- Wayne State University. Board of Governors
- Western Michigan University
- Title
- Michigan Government Television (MGTV) Collection
- Status
- 4 Published And Cataloged
- Author
- E. Busch
- Date
- November 2015
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Repository Details
Part of the University Archives and Historical Collections Repository
Conrad Hall
943 Conrad Road, Room 101
East Lansing MI 48824 US
517-355-2330
archives@msu.edu