ISN

From The Great Machine

The Interstellar News Network, or ISN, was the major news organization operating from 2258 through 2262 (the span of the series), as well as a good deal further into the future (M03, A Call To Arms; S4E22 The Deconstruction of Falling Stars).

Their official slogan is: "ISN, the galaxy's most important network!" -- (S3E14, Ship of Tears)

Spoiler warning: Plot, character development, or ending details follow.

Jane: ...with the latest news on the continuing crisis. Xavier Montoya, head of the Mars Provisional Government, announced today that he will not implement the martial law order given five days ago by President Clark. So far, EarthDome has had no official response to this act of open defiance by Mars, except to say that they are considering all options. -- (S3E10 Severed Dreams)

In 2251, ISN became the news:

Jane: ...no reaction from any of the outer colonies concerning these attacks...

Rick: I'm sorry! [A man, agitated, steps up beside the anchorwoman.] Jane, I'm sorry to jump in like this, but we have to... [Sits at the desk.] The colonies at Orion 7 and Proxima 3 have just broken away from the Earth Alliance in protest over the bombing of Mars! [Now Jane is very agitated, looking for help from the crew.] They're setting themselves up as independent states until such time as President Clark is impeached!

Jane: Rick, don't do this...

Rick [talking faster and louder]: Clark doesn't want this information released, but we have to go with this now because I don't know how much longer we can stay on the air! [Jane is fit to be tied.] Armed troops have begun moving in on the ISN Broadcast Center here in Geneva! We just saw them coming around the corner! We're trying to get a camera down there to document what's going on! I...I can hear gunfire now up here on the 14th floor! [People on the set start scrambling.] Listen to me! There's information you don't have! What's been going on for the past year, we haven't been allowed to tell you!

There's a blast, and rubble falls onto the anchor desk. Jane and Rick try to scramble out of danger.

Rick: Everyone! Get down!

-- (S3E10 Severed Dreams)

ISN was then taken off the air for some time. Many were hopeful when it finally began stellarcasting again.

Anchorwoman: Good morning! The Interstellar Network News is back on the air, broadcasting throughout Earth and to over two dozen colonies and deep-range outposts! The first thing we want to do is explain what happened to cause the disruption in service.

The signal from the ISN News Center here in Geneva was lost when our facilities were attacked by saboteurs intent on paralyzing all Earth communications systems as a prelude to invasion! In order to divide our forces, the saboteurs used our facilities to stellarcast a fake report designed to create the impression that the government itself was taking action against us! To stop this campaign of misinformation, we ourselves pulled the plug on the broadcast. In the ensuing firefight, government forces recaptured the ISN facilities and apprehended the saboteurs. We've been working round the clock to repair the damage, and now, at last, we're back, better than ever!

Coming up in the next hour, President Clark accepts a report from the Ministry of Peace on how crime has been virtually eliminated, ever since the extremely popular martial law declaration was issued. Former Senator Ron... -- (S3E14, Ship of Tears)

Unfortunately, ISN had become the propaganda arm of Clark's regime.

Entertainment channel: unavailable due to jamming.

Movie channel: unavailable due to jamming.

Sports channel: unavailable due to jamming.

Adult channel: unavailable due to jamming.

ISN: available."

-- Babylon 5 television selection, Racing Mars

The network is finally restored to its proper place as the beacon of impartial investigative journalism near the end of 2262:

Jane: Hello, I want to welcome back our viewers. We've been gone a long time." ... -- (S4E20, Endgame)

Jane is overcome with emotion as she welcomes back their viewers and reports on the events of the past hours, alluding as well to her imprisonment and those of other colleagues.

It is unknown how important ISN was beyond this time period, though it is believed to have existed for at least several hundred years, based on events in The Deconstruction of Falling Stars.