APAC, the Australian Public Affairs Channel, has hit Pay Television today screening on Channel #607.
The Foxtel / Austar funded channel is produced by SKY News and is available at no extra cost to subscription viewers.
As with the C-SPAN Channel in the US, APAC will focus on broadcasting government sessions. The channel will offer complete sittings from the federal house, the senate, and hearings plus question time from NSW, Victoria and Queensland state parliaments. Other states will follow. It will also feature one dedicated evening programme still to be announced.
A channel website notes today’s viewing includes the Obama Inauguration from 10pm.
Behind the scenes there is a suggestion that APAC is a strategic move by the Pay TV industry to thwart ABC plans for a digital public affairs channel.
APAC has made claims about ultimately being available to all Free to Air viewers, but so far TV Tonight has been unable to gain finer details from SKY News. The website indicates it will shortly be available online and on free to air digital television as part of a D44 trial in Sydney.
Hi,
I would like to congratulate all concerned for this bird’s eye view into the workings of Senate hearings and etc. This enables a bipartian view and gives the viewers a better and more informed perspective into matters of the day.
The Abc reporting on the 24 hour service however is less so. The selected journalists, seem more intent on giving their views than allowing the public to make our own minds up. As such, It is counter productive and it is to be hoped that the Channel can stay free of their influence.
I have only recently been able to watch you programme. My daughter has just kindly included me in her Foxtel configuration.
I love your Political Channeland really get het up watching Question Time in the House of representatives.
Here are a few of my observations:
What a giggle I have when the Mr Rudd or one of his Ministers speak. The
backbenchers immediately behind him remind me of those Papier Mache Animals that were in vogue a decade or so ago. Some people used to have then sitting in the back window of their cars. As their heads were suspended on a spring when the car was moved the heads kept nodding. Just as do the heads of those backbenchers.
I would love to know if anyone has made this observation!!!!!
It’s not about the stupid logo. Before this channel I would never have had the chance to truly find out what other countries are thinking and at the same time making the puppets obvious.
I think we should be incouraging everyone to have a look at it.
they wont do nothing about the alcolhol problem while turnball is in parliemnt he would be lost achocol is worse than smoking u only hurt u when u smoke when u drink u hurt a lot of people
Hi – any closer to finding out if and when APAC will be shown on free to air digital? I’m not in Sydney.
This site doesn’t track DVDs, but I can’t see APAC offering DVDs of anything. Try a religious bookshop in your city for info?
I would like a DVD copy of the Pope’s ‘Urbi et Orbi’ adddress of Easter Sunday. How do I get it.
Craig, BBC World is now being broadcast in 16:9 locally (since the the 20th)
James it has this on it’s website:
“A-PAC is Australia’s Public Affairs Channel and is fully funded by Foxtel and Austar on a not for profit basis and operated by Australian News Channel as a free service for all Australians”
The blurb on this channel when you use the i button on Foxtel says iti s funded by Foxtel/Austar, but if it is going to show Parliament, I’m pretty sure that’s taxpayer funded.
the graphics are disgusting. there should not even be a ticker on a channel like apac let alone weather!
what 9 year olds are running this channel??
oh thats right the minds behind the failed Sky News Business Channel and the pathetic excuse for a news channel.
I agree – that logo is truly horrid – no thought at all in that design
Why are all the News channels still 4×3 when the weather channel is 16×9?
We know BBC World and others are 16×9 so why don’t we get them in that format on PayTV in this country?
Tell a-pac your thoughts at their website.
Come on, whens it coming to FTA digital
@Bryce – careful, I think you might actually be insulting 90s community channels!!
That logo in the top left corner needs to be sorted. What an eyesore.
Anyways, seems like they’ve gone wrong somewhere. Getting feed not from CSPAN but from other US Cable channels atm. Not sure whats happening.
I’ve been watching some guy selling coins (US State Quarters) on ‘CSN’ for the last 10 minutes.
As someone with a 4:3 TV, this channel looks rubbish. The logo is huge! the ticker is partially cut off and on an angle. The clock is barely visable, and the weather too. This happens with SkyNews too since they changed their on screen graphics a few months ago.
What’s with the logo & graphics? They look like they’ve been made by an intern at a community TV station in the ’90s
not for everyone but great for those such as my self who have who want in-depth coverage and analysis of the political system.
While this channel may sound boring to some, I think it’s brilliant that we now have access to these programs and will definitely be checking it out. Thanks for the heads up.
Boo another 4:3 channel, and all its showing at the moment is the US C-SPAN!
Good timing with the Obama inauguration tonight, I must admit.
Also, I don’t know why, but I was thought this channel was going to be callled A-SPAN.
Wow! I cant wait to not tune in. Do we really need this channel taking up the little foxtel bandwith available?
Gosh.. that’s a bit harsh.. “to thwart ABC plans”.. I personally would prefer the ABC to have their own public affairs channel.. It means they might be able to veer towards having more entertainment programmes on ABC 1 and 2.. and when i say entertainment., I mean a bit more than just the Bill and what not..
Look at the BBC in the UK for example.. they show decent programmes during the week.. and dont have a designated “Arts evening”.. I mean, i wouldnt expect the ABC to ever become what the BBC is in england.. but surely they might be able to veer out from their pure elderly targeted audience to a slightly broader audience.. But i guess that’s wishful thinking isnt it..
They already had to make a change to the channel, the weather now was in Red which mixed in badly with the blue ticker bar.. that has since been changed to blend in better