C-SPAN heads into town on bus tour

A cable news network will roll its traveling production bus into Merrimack next week.

C-SPAN, which airs non-stop governmental proceedings, has embarked on a nationwide “Civics Bus” tour to show television production equipment and promote public affairs to libraries, schools, city halls, museums and other civic locations.

The bus, which has been touring since 1993 and has visited all 50 states, is equipped with three television cameras: two that are robotically controlled and one handheld unit for off-bus interviews and video shoots, according to C-SPAN’s Web site. The bus has been used as a mobile media studio where students, authors, journalists and national leaders have been interviewed on the road. The bus is more than eight feet wide, 13 feet tall and weighs 44,000 pounds.

It will stop at the Merrimack Public Library on Thursday, Aug. 20 from 5-7 p.m.

Visitors can tour the bus and learn about C-SPAN.