Lights, camera, reaction: Legislature TV coming to a channel near you

To the relief of insomniacs and political observers, the Alberta legislature will have its own dedicated television channel sometime this spring.

Bringing gavel-to-gavelproceedings from the Alberta legislature to television is something viewers have been asking forthrough calls to their MLAs, according toClerk of the Legislative AssemblyRob Reynolds.

"Their constituents have been rather vocal in protesting about how question period was not on television anymore," said Reynolds, "even thoughit was live streamed."

Tradition began in 1972

Televised broadcast proceedings of the Alberta legislature began on March 15,1972.

The webcast of question period began in 2003, with live streaming in 2007, said Rhonda Sorensen, spokesperson for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

But daily questions period,whereopposition MLAs try to hold the government to account, was pulled off most television airwaves last year.

Cheryl Scarlett, director of human resources, information and broadcast technology for the Legislative Assembly, saidthe Legislative Assembly Officehas been working forsome time to secure its own broadcasting licence.

It was left scrambling last fall, saidScarlett, when question period was dropped.

A private broadcaster had been routinely carrying proceedings from the chamberfrom early afternoon until 3 p.m., but the station "went in a different direction," she said.

While some Shaw community channels carried question period inrural areas, the proceedings were not carried in the major centres of Edmonton and Calgary, said Scarlett.

Legislative Assembly staff wereable to secure a relatively fast licence fromthe Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)in December, approving thelegislature channel.

The licence was acquired through the parliamentary and provincial or territorial legislature proceedings exemption order, Scarlett said.

24 hours a day, no advertising

The Alberta legislature channel will be on the air 24 hours a day, carrying proceedings directly from the floor of the legislature and committee meetings.

During those times when live proceedings are not onor being re-broadcast, CherylScarlettsaid a simple slate with music will be shown.

Sorensen said no firm date has been set for the first broadcast, however the Legislative Assembly Office is working withTelusand Shaw to broadcast the opening of the spring session, which begins March8with the speech from the throne.

"There will be no advertisements, there will be no commercial activities on it," Reynolds said. "It will just be the proceedings of the assemblyand its committees."

In a moment of light-hearted banter, members of the standing committee on members' services welcomed the news this month of a new legislature television channel.

It prompted Nathan Cooper, the UCPMLA for Olds-Didsbury-ThreeHills, who stands about fivefoot six inches, to suggest a new reality television showalongside six-foot-eight-inchUCP MLA Jason Nixon called "Big and Little."

"We would sort of lay out for the people what it's like to be an opposition MLA and ways that people can engage in the democratic process," said Cooper during a committee meeting on Feb. 1

"I'm not sure where that proposal gets sent to, but I just wonder if it might be a possibility for us," joked Cooper.