As SC Dem Convention Kicks Off, C-SPAN’s Steve Scully Criticizes ‘Very Disappointing’ Coverage Restrictions

C-SPAN political editor Steve Scully has made it clear in interviews this week he is not happy with the South Carolina Democratic party restricting the network’s coverage of today’s big convention where 2020 Democratic candidates will be speaking.

Exclusive live coverage rights were granted to MSNBC. C-SPAN, CNN, Fox News, ABC News, and CBS News all protested the decision.

Scully told the Washington Examiner this is “the first time in C-SPAN’s 40-years history of covering ‘Road to the White House’ that we have been denied live coverage of a state party convention.”

This morning Scully again criticized the South Carolina Democratic party’s “very disappointing” decision:

@cspan @cspanradio LIVE coverage of #SCPlannedParenthood in Columbia, SC begins 11am ET. More than 15 Dem Presidential candidates will speak. Tune in!

— Steve Scully (@SteveScully) June 22, 2019

@cspan regrets decision by @scdp to restrict LIVE C-SPAN coverage of convention. Very disappointing & 1st time ever. But we were live @ClyburnSC06 fish fry last night. And today 11 am SC Planned Parenthood. All of it https://t.co/Um8WHKDbQI

— Steve Scully (@SteveScully) June 22, 2019

If ⁦@scdp⁩ allowed live @cspan coverage you would be hearing from ALL the speakers at today’s Dem Convention in Columbia SC today ? pic.twitter.com/DxLYpQzCmr

— Steve Scully (@SteveScully) June 22, 2019

The official C-SPAN account also tweeted about planning to cover the Planned Parenthood rally instead:

.@scdp stands by its decision to limit live coverage of today’s state party convention to @MSNBC. Our CSPAN crews instead will be at planned parenthood rally, starting live at 11 am ET

— CSPAN (@cspan) June 22, 2019