mr. simono wrote for the baltimore sun for 12 years and he will talk about the future of journalism. that is live at one:00 p.m. eastern on c-span2. here is a look at tonight's edition of the communicators. >> with the federally mandated transition to digital television come in next week, we will get a status report on how the sec has prepared viewers for the change. william blake, congressman joe barton, television station manager kevin harrison, and erica swanson, activist group coordinator. we will have that tonight at 8:00 eastern. the communicator's on c-span2. we have more live events later with national intelligence director dennis blair. he is speaking to the national security alliance. you can see that live at 8:30 p.m. eastern after the communicators on c-span2. >> how is c-span funded? >> private donations? >> i don't really know. >> public television. >> donations. >> i don't know where the money comes from. >> contributions from donors. >> 30 years ago america's cable companies cre

mr. simon is also known for his work writing and producing tv draw mass such as h.b.o.'s "the wire" and "generation kill" and nbc's "homicide life on the streets." from the national press club, this is about 55 minutes. >> good afternoon. welcome. my name is mark hamerik of ap broadcast. i'm a membership secretary at the national press club. we are the world's leading professional organization for journalists and we are committed to the future of journalism by providing journalism programming and education and fostering free press around the globe. for more information please visit the web site at www.nationalpress.org. i'd like to welcome our speaker and those in the audience today and those who are watching live on c-span. we also provide our broadcasts over itunes for podcasting. we look forward to today's speech. and afterwards we'll ask as many questions from the audience as time permits. i would ask kindly you please withhold your applause from the speech so that we have time for as many questions as possible. for our broadcast audience i would like to explain if y

mr. simon also wrote for the baltimore sun for 12 years and he will talk about the future of journalism. that's live at 1 p.m. eastern here on c-span2. a look here at the u.s. capitol where both the house and senate will gamble in to start the week. legislative work starting at 2:00 or you can watch that live on c-span. while the senate comes to order at 2 p.m. eastern after some general speeches. lawmakers continue work on a bill regulating tobacco products. our lives in a coverage right here on c-span2. will get a status report on how the fec is to bring viewers for the change. the communicators on c-span2. and we have more live events for you later with the director of national intelligence dennis blair. that dni is speaking to the intelligence and national security alliance and you can see that live here starting at 8:45 eastern after the communicators on c-span2. how he sees and funded? private donations. >> i don't really know. >> from public television. >> donations. >> i don't know wher

last night i had an interesting dinner with mr. simon, who is a financier, and quite renown in the united states. he made a proposal to us. i think it merits consideration. i'd like your opinion. what it roughly is, he feels one of the major blows to the securityization market was the failure of the rating systems to the institutions that were there to create and did infact create all these triple-a ratings that we found out much later on were nonsense. no at his suggestion and opinion was that we should take upon forming a nonprofit governmentally sponsored and supervised super rating agency that does not make money from tissuer, but gets paid independently and separately with a separate fee and it would have to rate all of the bundled securities or securitized operations. have you given any consideration to that type of thought? >> well, there is no doubt that the rating agencies failed. if you look at the aaas that fannie and freddie bought, about 60% of them now are junk and only 5% are still aaa and not on downgrade. no doubt to be

mr. simon is also known for his work writing and producing tv dramas such as hbo's "the wire" it and generation camel and nbc homicide: life on the street. from head table under way, david simon speaking just a few moments, our live coverage starting out on c-span 2. >> we look for it to today's speech and afterwards will ask as many questions from the audience as time permits, i would ask timely that you please hold your applause during this peak that have time for as many questions as possible. i like to explain if you do hear applause it is from guests and members of the general public to attend our luncheons, not necessarily from always neutral working journalists. [laughter] like to first introduce our head table desk and ask them to stand briefly when the names are called beginning on this end of the table, sam, communications director with the institute for public accuracy and he assured me that i got his name right. which is important when you're with the institute for public accuracy,

after the new year, i got a letter from a c hçó simon, the managing editor, deer mr.rookhiser, please forgive our slowness in dealing with your manuscript. it somehow got buried on my desk. this, i would learn, action was standard procedure. priscilla buckley, bill's older sister and managing editor, and i have read it and weçó want to publish it. anyone who submit something for the approval of the world expects in somee1 corner of his mind that he will be approved but when approval actually çóca, it was startling. the world2od public events which included the media that reported on it, was out there, and now someone from out there had signalled back. to contribute to freight expenses. the idea that i might be paid in addition to being published was icing on the cake. about the time the check arrived, i began getting letters from readers. there were 20 in all, which would be a small response in the days of e-mail and texting but in 1969 when each of these communications had to be sealed, stamped and dropped in a mailbox, it was impressive, all the more to someone who

simons assistant managing editor. dear mr.khiser, please forgive our slowness in dealing with your manuscript, it somehow got buried on my desk. this i would learn actually was standard procedure in journalism. [laughter] >> miss buckley,i&÷ priscilla buckley, bill's sister and editing manager and i have read it and are eager to publish it. we do receive manuscripts from people your age but i'm sure this will be the first we've ever published. anyone who submits something for the approval of the world expects in some corner of his mind that he will be approved. but when approval actually came it was startling. the world of public events which included the media that reported on them was out there. now someone from out there had signaled back. more surprises followed when my article appeared in the issue dated february 24th, 1970, one day after my 15th birthday. it was the cover story. moratorium day head the headline by rick brookhiser, student. the next surprise, a few weeks later was a check for $180. [laughter] >> the quest

professor of art history at columbia university, simon schama has presented 30 documentary's for the bbc and pbs including an international emmy award winner. mr. schama has won numerous journalism prizes including an award for history and the prize for literature, the national academy of arts and letters award and the national book critics circle award. he also loves to cook and we have seen a number of his recipes. his newest work, the american future: a history, looks at the presidential election from a historical perspective debating war, religion, race, and immigration, and the relationship between natural resources and prosperity. mr. schama examines these problems in the context of america's identity. before we bring mr. schama out, we will show you a short clip from his new documentary that shares the same name as his new book. ♪ >> it was a hard american winter. a tough time for americans. but out there, beneath the ice, something big was stirring. an awakening of the unruly animal, american democracy. this presidential election isn't like other elections. people who live here felt the efforts -- first tremors of the political earthqu

bipartisan paul simon water for the world act with a goal to provide 100 billion of the world's poorest with first-time access to safe drinking water and sanitation. i'd like to work with you, mr. chairman to ensure that clean water and sanitation are adequately funded and related at the highest level of our diplomatic levels. mr. berman: i want to manifest clearly my intention to take up a major recite writhe of foreign assistance legislation late they are year and we will address the issues raised in the water for the world act as part of that effort. mr. blumenauer: thank you, mr. chairman. i appreciate your attention to this critical issue and look forward to working with you. the chair: the gentlewoman from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: i continue to reserve. the chair: the gentleman from california. mr. berman: i'm pleased to yield one minute to a friend for a very long time, a member of the committee, as well as the agriculture committee, mr. costa. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. costa: thank you very much. i'd like to thank mr. berman and the work he and his staff have done on this bill. as we look an the -- i think all of us understand as we lo at the challe