The politics television station C-SPAN is sending its bus on a road trip around Alaska later this month, and residents of Juneau, Fairbanks and Anchorage will have a chance to check out its onboard television studio and take pop quizzes.
The station is floating the bus to Juneau from Washington by boat. It will then take the Alaska state ferry to Haines and embark on a 1,000-mile road trip through Fairbanks to Anchorage, where it will be shipped back to Washington.
C-SPAN is holding public events in Juneau on June 18 and 19, in Fairbanks on June 22 and June 23 and in Anchorage on June 25, 26 and 27.
The bus is on a tour of all 50 state capitals to promote the 40-year-old station.
C-SPAN, a nonprofit company, is essentially a national version of Alaska's popular "Gavel to Gavel" program, which covers the state Legislature. C-SPAN broadcasts live streams of congressional proceedings and public affairs programs.
The bus contains a television studio, 11 touchscreen tablets and a station for people to take self-portraits; visitors can take quizzes to test their knowledge of the political process.
Its stops in Juneau, Fairbanks and Anchorage are coordinated with GCI, the telecommunications company that broadcasts C-SPAN programs.
Each stop will include several public open houses, where Alaskans can climb on board. The station is also recording public affairs programs during its visit that will be broadcast in July.
Among the segments will be one with Mark Adams, an author from the New York City area who just published a book about traveling in Alaska called "Tip of the Iceberg." He'll be interviewed by Libby Casey, a former public radio reporter in Alaska who now works for The Washington Post.
The station is also trying to schedule times with Gov. Bill Walker and Alaska's congressional delegation, according to spokeswoman Rachel Katz.
Here's a list of the bus's appearances:
Juneau
Monday, June 18
9-10:30 a.m., Alaska State Capitol, 123 Fourth St.
12-2 p.m., GCI Customer Appreciation Day, 8390 Airport Blvd.
3:30-5 p.m., University of Alaska Southeast, 11066 Auke Lake Way
Tuesday, June 19
8:30-10:30 a.m., City and Borough of Juneau Docks, 510 S. Franklin St.
12-1:45 p.m., Juneau Rotary – Westmark Baranof Hotel, 127 N. Franklin St. (Bus will be parked at 105 S. Seward St., in front of Sealaska Heritage Institute.)
3-4:30 p.m., Andrew P. Kashevaroff State Library, Archives and Museum, 395 Whittier St.
Fairbanks
Friday, June 22
7 a.m., Sunrisers Rotary at Carlson Center, 2010 Second Ave.
11:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m., GCI Customer Appreciation Day, 510 Merhar Ave.
3-4:30 p.m., Boys and Girls Club, 645 Eighth Ave.
Saturday, June 23
9:30-11 a.m., UAF Museum of the North, 1962 Yukon Drive
Anchorage
Monday, June 25
10-11 a.m., GCI Customer Appreciation Day, 2800 C St.
12-1:30 p.m., Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, Dena'ina Center, 600 W. Seventh Ave., Second Floor
Tuesday, June 26
11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Lunch on the Lawn – Anchorage Museum, 625 C St.
12-1:30 p.m., Downtown Anchorage Rotary Club – Dena'ina Center, 600 W. Seventh Ave. (Presentation at 11:30 a.m., bus tours at 1 p.m.)
4-5:30 p.m., Anchorage City Council – Assembly Chambers, Loussac Library, 3600 Denali St., Room 108
Wednesday, June 27
10 a.m.-12 p.m., University of Alaska Anchorage, 3211 Providence Drive