Roll Call

What Roll Call does

Roll Call is a Washington, D.C.-based policy media organization founded in 1955 by Sid Yudain that has covered Capitol Hill continuously for seven decades. It produces news, objective analysis, and election coverage across print, web, mobile, podcasts, and video, anchored by flagship publications Roll Call and CQ (founded 1945), with sub-brands including CQ Budget, Equal Time, Fintech Beat, Political Theater, and Oversight podcasts, the Factba.se political tracking database, newsletters, e-Edition, RC Jobs classifieds, the Congressional Calendar, and The Casualty List. The content is supported by a newsroom of 101–250 employees based at 1201 Pennsylvania Avenue NW and distributed through rollcall.com, mobile apps, email newsletters, podcast platforms, and a still-extant print edition.

The company operates a multi-stream B2B/B2G revenue model: recurring institutional subscriptions (sold via CQ.com to congressional offices, federal agencies, corporations, associations, law and lobbying firms, media, and academia), display and sponsored content advertising, and hosted/sponsored events for policy professionals. Distribution channels include a self-serve website, e-edition reader, podcast platforms, email newsletters, and a domestic print edition. Roll Call and CQ are owned and operated by FiscalNote, a global software, data, and media company whose machine-learning-driven policy analytics, advocacy tools (Engage, Knowlegis, PACbuilder), and 5,000+-client base provide adjacent distribution and cross-sell infrastructure. In 2008, Roll Call acquired Capitol Advantage for approximately $43 million, an early signal of the franchise's strategy to extend beyond pure editorial into advocacy and workflow tooling.

Name

Roll Call

Legal name

CQ and Roll Call

Website

https://rollcall.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Roll Call is a Washington, D.C.-based policy media company, founded in 1955, that delivers congressional news, analysis, podcasts, and political-tracking tools to congressional offices, federal agencies, corporations, associations, law and lobbying firms, media, and academia, operating under FiscalNote ownership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Political News Media

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

akta.pro primary industry

News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO)

Keywords

• Congressional news coverage
• Policy journalism
• Legislative tracking
• Political analysis media
• Capitol hill reporting

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Subscriptions: Subscription-based access to Roll Call news content, newsletters, and digital editions delivered in print, online, and mobile platforms.
2. Advertising: Display advertising and sponsored content across the website and digital platforms.
3. Events: Hosting and sponsoring events for policy professionals and stakeholders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Roll Call is a Washington, D.C.-based news media organization that provides timely news, objective facts and analysis on the people, politics, and personalities of Capitol Hill. The company covers Congress, elections, and the politics of legislation across print, online, and mobile platforms, complemented by podcasts, newsletters, videos, events, and tracking tools like Factba.se. Subscriptions and institutional licensing serve policy professionals, government, corporations, and advocacy organizations.

Product overview

Roll Call operates as a unified news media platform offering multiple products under the CQ and Roll Call brands, owned by FiscalNote. The core offerings include the Roll Call news publication (covering Capitol Hill since 1955) and CQ (covering policy and legislation since 1945), both delivered in print, online, and on mobile platforms. The product portfolio includes podcasts (CQ Budget, Equal Time, Fintech Beat, Political Theater, Oversight), the Factba.se search/tracking tool, newsletters, events, RC Jobs classifieds, Opinion section, digital newspaper editions, and the Congressional Calendar. Together, CQ and Roll Call serve as the only media provider connecting policy professionals and opinion leaders with congressional information and tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CQ Budget Podcast: Podcast covering budget and appropriations news
• Equal Time
• Fintech Beat
• Political Theater
• Factba.se
• At the Races
• Capitol Ink

Products and services

• Roll Call News Publication
• CQ (Congressional Quarterly)
• Factba.se Tracking Database
• Roll Call e-Edition
• Roll Call Podcasts
• Roll Call Newsletters
• Roll Call Events
• RC Jobs Classifieds

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivers context, clarity, and competitive edge in a rapidly changing world for policy professionals

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FiscalNotecoreOthersRoll Call and CQ are owned and operated by FiscalNote, a leading provider of political and business risk solutions. FiscalNote is a global software data and media company that uses powerful machine learning to provide clients with policy information and insights. Roll Call and CQ together are the only media provider that connects policy professionals and opinion leaders with the information and tools they need to understand Congress.
• CQcoreOthersCQ and Roll Call together form the only media provider connecting policy professionals and opinion leaders with the information and tools needed to understand Congress. CQ covers people and institutions that influence public policy and legislation, continuing a legacy from its founding in 1945.
• Factba.seminorOthersFactba.se is a tracking database integrated into Roll Call's coverage, providing searchable access to Trump administration activities, tweets, White House calendar, and other political data including the Epstein Files.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Axios: Axios is a digital media company covering politics, policy, and business with a strong DC bureau. Its Smart Brevity newsletters and policy vertical compete directly with Roll Call's email products and corporate policy audience.
• Politico: Politico is the leading digital-first political journalism outlet covering Congress, campaigns, and policy. It directly competes with Roll Call for the same Capitol Hill audience, lobbying-firm subscribers, and political advertising dollars, and has surpassed Roll Call in newsroom scale and newsletter reach.
• Punchbowl News: Punchbowl News is a digital-native political media company focused on Capitol Hill reporting and insider newsletters. It directly challenges Roll Call in paid subscription political journalism, particularly among congressional staff and corporate government affairs teams.
• The Hill: The Hill is a Washington, DC-based newspaper and digital outlet covering Congress, the White House, and political campaigns. It overlaps with Roll Call in print/digital news for policy professionals and shares the same advertising and subscription ecosystem.
• National Journal: National Journal is a DC-based publication focused on policy, politics, and government affairs. It serves the same corporate, association, and lobbying customer base as Roll Call with subscription research and political intelligence products.
• RealClearPolitics: RealClearPolitics aggregates political news, polling, and election coverage aimed at engaged political readers. It overlaps with Roll Call's election analysis and polling-adjacent content, particularly via Nathan Gonzales' elections work.
• Politico Pro: Politico Pro is the paid policy intelligence subscription tier within Politico, offering in-depth coverage of specific policy verticals. It is the closest direct competitor to Roll Call's institutional subscription products sold to corporate and lobbying clients.
• Washington Examiner: The Washington Examiner is a DC news outlet covering politics, policy, and the White House in print and digital. It competes for overlapping Beltway audience, magazine-format readers, and political display advertising.

Broad incumbents

• Bloomberg Government: Bloomberg Government combines policy news with proprietary legislative tracking and data tools for government affairs professionals. It is a broader incumbent in Roll Call's enterprise policy intelligence niche, bundling media with software.

Others

• The Economist: The Economist is a prior owner of CQ Roll Call (sold to FiscalNote) and remains a globally respected news and analysis brand covering US politics. It represents an adjacent, high-end subscription news competitor rather than a direct DC-beltway rival.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ROLLCALL
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@rollcall
• Facebookfacebook.com/RollCall
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/roll-call

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Roll Call