Our Democracy is thriving with Australia’s Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd announcing that a new TV station will grace our shores, broadcasting from 20 January 2009 with coverage of the inauguration of the next US President, Barack Obama.
APAC which stands for the Australian Subscription Public Affairs Network is based on the US C-SPAN network, which cites its purpose as to “provide public access to the political process”.
APAC will feature live coverage of Federal Parliamentary sessions, including major committee hearings, speeches, conferences and events such as Anzac Day.
This new service will also provide coverage from the US Congress, New Zealand and British Parliaments (a real cross-section of English Speaking Western Politics). Also, on an interesting note APAC is likely to pick up some of APAC’s Australian footage for broadcast in the United States.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said: “Political junkies will love it. They’ll now have one more way to drive their family and friends absolutely mad.”
The network, a partnership between Sky News Channel (Australian News Channel, stakeholders include 33.3% Seven, 33.3% Nine and 33.3% BSkyB), Foxtel (25% News Corp, 25% CMH, 50% Telstra) and Austar (majority stakeholder Liberty Media) will be broadcast, to no suprise, on the Foxtel and Austar pay-tv platforms and according to the announcement on Free-to-Air Digital TV.
According to Mr Rudd, the new service will be 100% industry funded and complement coverage already provided by Sky News, the ABC and various parlimentary websites.
Is this a good idea? Will it actually be 100% industry funded? Or is a waste of money in a time of economic crisis?
Leave us your thoughts at the Frost Global media blog .