A U.S. Senate hearing is simulcast live over the Internet
A United States Senate hearing on encryption policy was distributed live over the Internet using RealAudio, creating an early precedent for direct online access to government proceedings.
Historical context
Government proceedings were still primarily accessible through physical attendance, television or later recordings. At the same time, Internet policy organizations were advocating for the Web as a tool for direct public access to political information, while RealAudio made live speech practical over consumer connections.
What happened
The Senate hearing was simulcast live on June 26, 1996, through a collaboration involving civic-technology groups and Internet companies. Contemporary reporting described it as the first congressional or Senate hearing to receive a live Internet broadcast, with users able to follow the proceedings remotely through streaming audio.
Consequences
The experiment demonstrated that legislative proceedings could be distributed directly to Internet users without relying solely on conventional broadcast television. It foreshadowed routine government webcasting, live committee feeds and online civic-media archives.
Related people
Sources
- LIVE HEARING SENT OVER NETThe Washington Post / Reuters
- CDT testimony, Senate Crypto Hearing -- June 26, 1996Federation of American Scientists archive