Washington Journal

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Washington Journal is a political call-in and interview television program running daily on C-SPAN. It usually runs live 7-10 AM Eastern Standard Time with no commercial interruption (as C-SPAN does not sell advertising or tabulate viewer ratings), with exceptions when special events preempt all or part of the program. The show is usually hosted from a studio in Washington, D.C., overlooking the Capitol Building.

The program is moderated by one of a rotating set of hosts. All are also C-SPAN employees in other capacities. In particular, C-SPAN founder and CEO Brian Lamb typically hosts on Fridays.

The inaugural WJ program aired on October 7, 1980. A 25th-year anniversary special aired on October 7-8, 2005 with 25 consecutive one-hour call-in segments, each including a relevant guest from that specific year and showing a montage of C-SPAN call-in clips and archival video with, of course, the requisite viewer call-ins; culminating with the 25th-hour segment by including a C-SPAN viewer essay contest winner guest-hosting in the studio with Brian Lamb. Callers throughout the course of 25 hours posed questions, described how long they've been watching C-SPAN and Washington Journal, a couple mentioning that they had seen the first show back in 1980, and generally reminiscing about the historical aspects of the show.

During each show, the host often reads notable articles and editorials from current newspapers and periodicals, and interviews guests invited to discuss a particularly contextual political or legislative issue. The host generally does not ask challenging questions, instead leaving them to callers, but does in many cases ask for clarification on their contentions or assertions.

The show is noted for the participation of its viewers. Usually a period of time (30 to 45 minutes) is set aside at the start of the show for "open phones", during which callers are allowed to discuss, on-air, an issue of their choosing. Alternatively, a question is posed by the host related to a newspaper article from that morning, and the audience is asked to call with their thoughts on the question. During the rest of the program, callers are invited to express their opinion on particular issues and to question that morning's scheduled guests.

In some cases, a debate format is arranged by inviting two guests from opposing points of view relative to a specific topic or piece of legislation. Debate guests answer callers' questions as well as directly question each other, with the Journal host generally allowing a free-flow interaction, and returning to incoming calls after in-depth segments of point and counter-point.

Callers were originally not screened by ideology, but the call-in format was changed during the Clinton impeachment hearings during which an overwhelming majority of callers favored impeachment to an extent that was not reflected in public opinion polls. Washington Journal producers now set up separate phone lines for each side of the issue being discussed. Usually this means one line for those supporting the current administration, one for those supporting the opposition party, and a third line for "other" or independent callers. In some cases, a call-in line is made available for the international audience, as well (outside of US/Canada). Callers are taken from the separate lines on an even basis. Prank calls has been cracked down recently due to an overwhelming number of Howard Stern fans calling in and pranking the host or the guests on the show.

The weekend editions of Washington Journal are often simulcast on the BBC Parliament channel in Great Britain under the title "America This Week".

The Washington Journal theme music is Johann Melchior Molter's Trumpet Concerto No. 2 played as an introduction and as the program concludes, but also as an interlude as guests are transitioned. (Lately, it's been noted that Brian Lamb seems to eschew the musical interludes between guests to allow more call-ins to be included.)