RT just took over a C-SPAN feed for 10 minutes with no explanation

(Image credit: Screenshot/Twitter)

published 12 January 2017

On Thursday afternoon, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) took to the House floor to speak about the Securities and Exchange Commission. The scene was being streamed online by C-SPAN — until an uncharacteristically jovial jingle cut into the feed:

RT is Russia's state television network, and the symbolism of the official voice of the Kremlin interrupting the American cable channel dedicated to publicizing official government proceedings should likely send people reaching for their tin-foil hats. The clip was posted by Deadspin editor Timothy Burke, who said the interruption happened on C-SPAN's raw feed, and a Twitter user in Washington, D.C., corroborated Burke's clip. CNN producer Donie O'Sullivan, meanwhile, pointed out that C-SPAN's on-demand footage from the time in question shows no irregularities.