Susan Swain

C-SPAN has a reputation for being reliable, dependable and thus, perhaps a little slow to change. Heck, it was a big deal when it updated its logo last year for its 40th anniversary, ditching the hyphen for a bright blue square. But when the pandemic hit, Swain had no qualms about shifting into high gear. Along with her co-CEO Rob Kennedy, she sent staffers, including on the TV and radio side, into work-from-home mode—virtually unheard of at the news organization. She and her colleagues quickly adjusted to the new normal, which meant televising a Congress that was convening in radically different ways. Swain & Co televised a hybrid remote and in-person Congress with viewers none the wiser to the technical challenges behind the feat. From the beginning of 2020 with impeachment hearings for Trump to the end-of-the-year election aftermath, she’s made sure C-SPAN kept its front-row seat to it all.

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