Stepping back in time slightly, as I catch up on some events from earlier today... "Democracy is shaped by the electorate. Democracy needs to be shaped by an informed electorate." That's how moderator Paul Giguere kicked off a breakfast panel today on regional public affairs networks -- the so-called local C-SPANs. Pictured here (L-R) is Pat Keating, WFSU The Florida Channel; Dan Shellenbarger, OGTV The Ohio Channel; Paul Giguere, CT-N Connecticut Network; Bill Trevarthen, MGTV (Michigan); and Tom Posey, The South Carolina Channel. They're board members of the National Association of Public Affairs Networks (NAPAN). They presented an interesting mix of distribution options: traditional cable carriage, carriage through public television stations' multicast digital signals, PEG channels, video-on-demand, and even podcasting. Although they all received initial resistance from the government, legislators have come around and embraced the networks.