LEGISLATIVE SESSION

Proceedings of a Legislative Session of New Brunswick

Proceedings of a Legislative Session of New Brunswick

The Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick has been televising its legislative proceedings since 1988. New Brunswick was among the first Canadian provinces to bring video cameras into its Legislature. In 1988, the Legislature had an agreement with Fundy Cable Ltd. to televise from tape the Routine Proceedings (approximately two hours) of each sitting day on the community-access cable television channel (channel 10). The entire day's business of the Legislature was recorded on videocassette for archival purposes. Channel 10's coverage of the Legislature went live in 1989. In the 1990s, Fundy Community Television expanded its live Legislature coverage to include almost an entire sitting day (Krauss 2004). As Fundy Cable Ltd. expanded to become Fundy Communications, with the community channel eventually becoming Rogers Television in 2001, broadcasting of the Legislature continued year after year on channel 10, or channel 9 in some communities (Alvarez, 1997).

In 2005 a Committee of the Legislative Assembly resolved to launch the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Television Service on a channel dedicated solely to the broadcast of legislative proceedings. The channel would provide gavel-to-gavel television coverage of all sitting days while the Legislature is in session. On March 28, 2006, the first broadcast took place on the dedicated channel. A new Speaker of the House was elected and the provincial budget was introduced by the Minister of Finance (Alvarez, 1997).

The Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Television Service commences daily broadcasts of legislative proceedings at the prescribed start time for each sitting day. The proceedings are broadcast on Rogers Cable channel 70 in select New Brunswick communities served by the cable television company. Alternate official language tracks are provided on channel 70 by way of the Secondary Audio Program (SAP) function on most television sets (Alvarez Saving 1997). On channel 70 in Fredericton, Moncton, Saint John, Miramichi, and surrounding communities, English, whether spoken on the floor of the chamber or translated from French, is the primary audio with French (floor or translation) available through SAP. On channel 70 in Bathurst, Edmundston and surrounding communities, French is the primary audio with English available through SAP. The Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick Television Service is also provided on digital cable television channel 199 (in English) and on channel 656 (in French), with the availability of each channel varying from place to place. The SAP function is not available on the two digital cable channels, only on channel 70 (Krauss, 2004).

Prior to 2005, two video cameras, operated manually on the floor of the Legislature, were utilized for televising the proceedings. With the launch of the Legislature's dedicated television channel, the camera system was expanded and upgraded to five video cameras. The new cameras were positioned in the chamber for optimal camera shot composition from different angles. Cameras 1 and 2 are devoted to the Opposition side of the chamber, cameras 4 and 5 cover the Government side, and a centre camera 3 is dedicated ...