37. From 1936 to 1961 the ultimate control of parliamentary broadcasting was in the hands of the Prime Minister and in the early years, when the broadcasts were limited to selected debates, it was he who determined the time at which broadcasting should take place. It was not long, however, before the continuous broadcasting of parliamentary proceedings was instituted and in 1962 the Broadcasting Corporation was established to take over and operate the service. Ministers no longer have any responsibility for matters of day to day administration, but the Corporation is required to comply with the general policy of the Government with respect to broadcasting and with any general or special direction given in writing by the Minister pursuant to the policy of the Government.

38. It was also in 1962 that the broadcasting of parliamentary proceedings was first regulated by Standing Order 46 in the following terms:

Proceedings of Parliament shall be broadcast during all hours of sitting prescribed by the Standing Orders and during such other periods as may be determined by the Leader of the House.

The Prime Minister as Leader of the House still has it in his power to extend the broadcasting facilities when the House sits beyond the hour of 10:30 p.m. but as a matter of courtesy he normally consults the Leader of the Opposition.

39. Legislation to regulate the broadcasting of parliamentary proceedings has never been introduced in New Zealand.

Australia

40. In contrast with the experience in New Zealand, the introduction of parliamentary broadcasting by radio was carefully planned in Australia. As a first step the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Broadcasting was requested by the Postmaster General to consider whether the broadcasting of parliamentary debates was desirable and if so to what extent and in what manner such broadcasts should be undertaken. The resultant report presented to Parliament on September 26, 1945, which was described as "a complete statement of the problems involved in such a venture”, recommended "that the innovation should be introduced in this country as soon as circumstances permit." 5

41. Parliamentary broadcasting is governed by the Parliamentary Proceedings Broadcasting Act of 1946. It provides for a Joint Committee on the Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings consisting of three Senators including the President of the Senate and six Members of the House of presentatives including the Speaker. This Committee exercises control over the broadcasts in accordance with certain principles agreed to by Parliament. These principles deal with the daily period during which the proceedings should be broadcast, the allocation of broadcasting time between the two Houses, the rebroadcasting of proceedings, and the extent to which comments from the control booth are allowed. The Joint Committee exercises extensive powers within the framework of these principles and one of its duties is to ensure equal coverage for Government and Opposition Parties.

42. The Australian Senate, by resolution in 1971, approved in principle the televising of the proceedings of its standing and select committees at the discretion of the committees themselves but subject to such rules as the Senate would adopt as guidelines for such coverage. According to the best information available to your Committee, no rules or guidelines have as yet been adopted. However, it is our understanding that this matter is before the Senate's Committee on Privileges and has been in committee for some time. Austria

43. Parliamentary proceedings are regularly broadcast by television and radio from the floor of the Chamber. Committee deliberations are always closed to the public and taping for radio is never allowed. Occasionally, when special permission is granted by the President of Parliament, Committee proceedings may be filmed without sound to serve as a background for the television commentators. For the past four years two cameras have continuously recorded all the proceedings in the Chamber and the official broadcasting agency has sole authority to select excerpts for television and radio news broadcasts. All films are retained in archives for the exclusive use of the television broadcasting corporation. When Parliament is in session selections are regularly broadcast in the evening news by both television and radio.

New Zealand, Standing Orders of the House of Representatives relating to public business, reprinted and renumbered June 1963.

5 Eighth Report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Broadcasting, Parliamentary Paper No. 31 of 1945-46.

West Germany

44. In 1966 the Bundestag entered into an agreement with West Germany's two television networks whereby certain debates are televised at the request of the media. A procedure has been established whereby the television station puts in a request to the Press Department of the Bundestag, which is under the jurisdiction of the President of the Bundestag, to be allowed to televise certain proceedings. Permission is granted by the Press Department following consultation with party representatives. Once permission has been granted, and it normally is granted, the actual televising and editing becomes the responsibility of the television station which has to conform to certain conditions with regard to the placing of cameras.

45. Television has so far been restricted to plenary sessions of the Bundestag and committee proceedings have not as yet been televised. Permission to televise is only sought when it is anticipated that the debate will arouse great public interest. Requests are made at fairly short notice, normally by telephone, but a certain amount of advance notice is necessary to provide time for consultation with party representatives.

46. In 1970 the proceedings of the Bundestag were televised on 26 days amounting to 126 hours all told divided between the two television stations. According to the information obtained by your Committee the broadcasts attracted a viewing public of some 75 per cent of the viewing population, an unusually high proportion which is in marked contrast with the experience in other jurisdictions. The explanation probably lies in the skillful judgment exercised by the news media in selecting those parliamentary events which promise to attract a high measure public interest.

Denmark

47. Continuous coverage of parliamentary proceedings is available in Denmark by radio and television but the use which is made of the material is selective and based upon estimated public interest. Special events are sometimes broadcast live from the Chamber, but most broadcasts are re-transmitted and include the weekly question period and the important parts of major debates. Except for special events which are broadcast live the material is usually shortened for use in evening news programs. Committee proceedings are always held in camera and are never broadcast.

48. It seems that the broadcasting methods used call for no special technical arrangements and foreign as well as domestic broadcasters are free to apply for permission to broadcast. Permission is normally granted on the understanding that it will be purely a recording operation entailing no added lights or noise. The broadcasts do not appear to attract an unusual degree of public interest unless a debate is of exceptional importance.

Norway

49. Parliamentary debates are broadcast by both television and radio in the Chamber but not in Committees. Broadcasts are selective and fairly frequent and are sometimes relayed to the public in the form of extracts. The King's speech from the Throne at the opening of a session and his dissolution speech are always broadcast live, and among the debates which are regularly broadcast, either live or in the form of extracts, are those on the Speech from the Throne, on the budget and on foreign affairs.

Sweden

50. Parliamentary proceedings are broadcast by both television and radio from the Chamber only. They are selective and variable, and the choice of material rests with the Swedish Broadcasting authorities on the basis of a formula designed to present an objective balance of views. Committee meetings are held in camera and are therefore not broadcast.

Finland

51. Parliamentary proceedings are broadcast by both television and radio from the Chamber and the broadcasts are sometimes live. Committee proceedings are not broadcast. Broadcasting is both selective and infrequent, and the choice as to what will be broadcast is made after a session begins, the concentration being at the beginning and the end of the session. Broadcasting policy is governed by regulations to ensure a proper political balance and the editor in charge of the broadcasts is responsible for adherence to these regulations.

Holland

52. Parliamentary proceedings are broadcast by both television and radio in both Chambers and in Committees. Live broadcasts occur on occasions of major interest but the more normal practice is for recorded material to be utilized during evening newscasts. The selection of items for inclusion is at the discretion of the broadcasting editor. Television broadcasts are selective and occur only infrequently, but it seems that radio coverage occurs more frequently, recorded extracts being used every evening after 10:30 p.m. while Parliament is in session. The broadcasting of committees is very infrequent because the subjects dealt with are usually fairly technical and do not attract great public interest. Furthermore, some committee meetings are held in camera.

53. The radio and television authorities in Holland have standing permission granted by Parliament to cover the debates of both Chambers. In practice the proceedings of the First Chamber (Upper House) are seldom broadcast. It appears that public interest in parliamentary broadcasting is limited and the decision as to what will be broadcast depends on what issues the broadcasting authorities feel will generate sufficient public interest.

Saskatchewan

54. Radio broadcasting of selected proceedings of the Saskatchewan Legislature was introduced in 1946 and has continued ever since. The broadcasts cover the two major debates of the Assembly, the debate on the Address and the budget debate, which continue for a maximum of seven and eight days respectively. The selection of speeches to be broadcast is made by a Standing Committee under the chairmanship of the Speaker and the allocation of radio time is apportioned on the basis of party standings in the House, the Whips being responsible for the allocation of time to individual Members. The broadcasts begin fifteen minutes after the commencement of the sitting and last for one and one quarter hours from 2:45 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. The debates are broadcast live by some stations and rebroadcast by others. In neither case is there any editing. News commentators have not attempted to play back extracts from tapes, but it seems there is no record of this having been expressly forbidden. No records of the broadcasts are kept except those taped records, prepared independently of the broadcasts, from which the Official Report is prepared.

Nova Scotia

55. From March 22 to April 8, 1971, the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia conducted a three-week television experiment during which the entire proceedings were recorded and the broadcasters did the editing. Both the C.B.C. and the C.T.V. were involved in the experiment and it appears that the editing was fair and the public reaction favourable.

56. Two large Marconi cameras were installed in the galleries, one on either side of the Speaker's Chair. As a result the camera angles were not ideal. A member of your Committee, Mr. R. J. McCleave, observed the experiment during one week and recorded his impressions in a brief report, from which the following paragraphs are extracted:

The CBC installed two large cameras, Marconi, in the galleries on either side of the Legislature. The Nova Scotia house meets in a small room, and the seats run in a half-oval on three sides. Camera angles were generally acute. and sometimes unflattering to the bald or balding. It might also be noted that in any event too many MLA's were seen with their faces lowered, and this was disconcerting a situation due to the acute camera angles. Mr. Speaker George Mitchell was always seen in profile, since there was no camera directly in front of him.

Early in the experiment, the usually well-lit room was brightened by extra lights. These were removed after complaints by Mr. Speaker and members. There was no appreciable loss of telecast quality, although purists familiar with focusing would notice delays in shifting from an opposition questioner to a replying Minister, and the hand of a member seated back of the member on camera might appear double life-size.

The output of the two cameras was fed into a large van situated outside the Legislature.

As for sound, this was obtained off the microphone recording system in the Legislature The only reservation about the sound system is that the pounding on the desks comes across like an outbreak of cannonading, and distressed many viewers.

57. It appears that no further steps are contemplated in Nova Scotia for the time being. After the experiment the media proposed that the Government should defray the expenses of any further television coverage and the Government declined to do so. A complete radio tape is now made which the media are permitted to edit.

Alberta

58. On March 15, 1972 the Legislative Assembly of Alberta decided to admit the television cameras to their Friday sittings. Both the C.B.C. and C.T.V. were approached and it was the latter which agreed to the proposal. The coverage which takes place consists mainly of the question period and is rebroadcast on the following Sunday. From the evidence available to your Committee it appears that the editing has been fair, and while no specific guidelines have been laid down no problems have so far arisen.

59. Two cameras are used which are situated on the floor of the Chamber to the right and left of the Speaker. The question period is regulated in such a way that the Speaker notes the Members who wish to ask a question and gives the nod to each Member when his turn arises. The camera does not therefore present the viewer with the spectacle of Members continually standing up and sitting down.

60. The televising of the proceedings has been provided for in the Standing Orders of the Legislative Assembly. There is no radio coverage but the media would be permitted to plug into the Assembly's own sound system. It is also interesting to note that tape recorders are permitted in the press gallery. Press cameras are also permitted provided no flash is used and the Speaker's permission is obtained.

THE TECHNICAL ASPECT

1 From a technical point of view it is clear that the broadcasting of parliament ry proceedings by radio and television is a feasible proposition. If the Hous were to take an affirmative decision in principle, radio broadcasting could be introduced almost at once. The adoption of the present sound and simultarЄous interpretation systems used in the House and in committee rooms to permit radio broadcasting would pose no technical difficulties. But while radio could easily be introduced it should be borne in mind that the questions of law, editing and control which would arise if the proceedings were televised would be similar in the case of radio.

62. Television broadcasting raises more weighty technical questions and several options would be open to the House with regard to the modus operandi. Some of the methods which would be available for conducting a television operation are briefly summarized below:

Complete audio-visual record of proceedings or electronic Hansard

63. This option envisages the maintenance of a continuous and permanent audio-visual record of the complete proceedings of the House and of selected committees. It would be produced by staff employed by the House with equipment owned by the House and it would be fed to a central control to provide the broadcasters with a direct audio-visual feed from the Chamber and from the committee rooms where broadcasting was taking place. The broadcasters would be free to make such use of the material as they thought appropriate subject to the conditions and guidelines laid down by the House. They could feed it live to the networks or keep it for subsequent rebroadcasting. They could edit and select from it for news, documentary and other public affairs programming. It would be in effect an electronic Hansard which the broadcasters could use in much the same way as the press uses the printed Hansard and other Parliamentary publications.

64 This option contemplates a permanent installation of television broadcasting equipment to record the proceedings in the Chamber. Portable equipment could be used in committee rooms if, as your Committee assumes, the televising of committee proceedings were to be selective. Perhaps in the case of certain committees a complete audiovisual record would be desirable. A method of selecting the committees to be broadcast would need to be devised probably through consultation with the representatives of the broadcasting media. Pool Operation on demand of Broadcasters

65. This would in effect be a joint operation by broadcasters who would employ their own staff and equipment to cover the proceedings of the House and comtees. Under this system, the broadcasters would request permission through

a pre-determined procedure to cover a particular debate or series of debates in the House or meeting or series of meetings of committees, and would then proceed to install and operate their equipment when permission was granted. The House would control the operation by laying down its own conditions and guidelines and broadcasting would take place only on the basis of the demand by the broad

casters.

Private Contractor or Licensed Operator

66. A variation of the "pool operation", this alternative envisages that the House would enter into a contract with a private broadcaster or contractor to cover the proceedings of the House and its committees. The selection of the proceedings to be broadcast would presumably be decided at the request of the broadcasters and the coverage would take place under such conditions and guidelines as the House would specify. The advantage of this option lies in the greater control it would give to the House over production operations.

Cablevision Operation

67. Envisaged by this option is a continuous live transmission of all proceedings of the House over a cablevision system. It would also allow for the simultaneous recording and storage of the proceedings for rebroadcasting purposes. From the evidence submitted to your Committee, it would appear that it would not be possible for this system to be introduced immediately on a coast to coast basis and it should be noted that this method would allow for either a "demand-pool operation" or a "contractor or licensed operator" operation. As with the electronic Hansard, it also envisages the permanent installation of facilities in the House itself.

Other Technical Considerations

68. With all of the above options, various technical considerations are involved, and your Committee feels that these are aspects on which it requires a great deal more information before it can make a final recommendation. Your Committee thinks that it is better to confine itself at this stage to stating in general terms the various technical problems which have been raised. It is felt that the House should have the benefit of detailed expert knowledge which would arise out of a cost and technical study of the kind which is discussed later in this Report.

69. Your Committee is convinced that no Member would want to see the Chamber of the House interfered with or changed in any radical way by the introduction of television. Therefore, very serious questions arise as to the type of camera that should be used in the House. For example, should they be remote controlled or live operated cameras? Evidence before your Committee suggested that remote controlled cameras could be discreetly hung from the balconies surrounding the House. But questions were raised as to the technical quality of such cameras for broadcasting purposes. Manually operated cameras would have to be positioned in the galleries and would in the opinion of some witnesses and Members intrude seriously on the Chamber. The type of camera and the positioning of the apparatus are factors which your Committee feels require very serious study. 70. If it is decided to televise the proceedings of the House, it will then have to be decided whether to do so in colour or in black and white. This raises important considerations with regard to lighting. Colour television demands very bright lights which result in high temperatures in the Chamber which the present air conditioning system does not appear capable of handling. The recent experience of Members during the visit of the President of the United States when he addressed both Houses was most uncomfortable and leads your Committee to conclude that such lighting without provision for adequate air conditioning would result in very uncomfortable conditions in the Chamber.

71. There are many other allied problems which need to be studied. These concern the staff and the accommodation necessary to the operation, methods of insuring that cameras are properly handled, simultaneous interpretation, the need for an informed commentator who would be able to explain the proceedings to the listening and viewing public, and the arrangements which should be made for committee meetings held outside the precincts of Parliament.

STILL PHOTOGRAPHY

72. Still photography is not mentioned in the Committee's order of reference, but it should be taken into consideration, because if television cameras are admitted into the Chamber a demand for equal rights on the part of the press has to be anticipated. At present still photography is allowed in committee rooms

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