POLITICAL junkies will have a new way to drive friends mad with the launch of a new pay TV channel devoted to Australian politics, but parliamentary terms including "scumbag" and "sleaze bag" may have to be explained to an international audience, Kevin Rudd said today.
Promising to bring the bear pit of state and federal politics into the lounge rooms of homes around the nation and overseas free of editorial comment, A-SPAN, the Australian Subscription Public Affairs Network, will begin broadcasting on January 20 next year with live coverage of the inauguration of US president-elect Barack Obama.Modelled on the C-SPAN service overseas, the Prime Minister launched the new venture today, with former Victorian Premier Steve Bracks also predicting it may lift standards in state politics as the reality of live broadcasts sinks in.“Political junkies will of course love it, they'll now have one more way to drive their family and friends absolutely mad,” Mr Rudd said."I am looking forward to the sub-titling service ... rendered in American English: 'You scumbag'."(Or) 'You sleazebags on wheels.' This is deemed in Australia to be an even less desirable person. I think there's a whole boutique business which will be spawned out of this in terms of the sub-titling of Australian English."The new not-for-profit network is a joint project of FOXTEL and AUSTAR and will jump the gun on ABC managing director Mark Scott's dream of a taxpayer-funded dedicated news and public affairs channel.The Prime Minister joked it was a pity A-SPAN wasn't around when Gough Whitlam threw a glass of water over Paul Hasluck."Or in more recent times, Tony Abbott squaring up to his Majesty's loyal opposition at the time, ready to knock their lights out on the floor of the House of Representatives. (Or) Paul Keating’s great exhortation that he was about to do him slowly. If this was done resplendently across live television across the country I am sure it would have had a palpable impact on the body politic. It would have been for real, live and unplugged."Australian politics will also be shown overseas on the C-SPAN channel and the new channel will also be available online and on a free-to-air basis. Coverage from the British House of Commons, the New Zealand Parliament and US politics will be available.Australian News Channel chairman John Hartigan predicted it would become a major forum to promote political knowledge, awareness and debate.But the Prime Minister joked his Communications Minister Stephen Conroy may have some questions to answer."I was concerned by what John Hartigan said. He said this A-SPAN was about live coverage as it happens of the internal machinations of government. Conroy, you told me none of that. You are in deep trouble,” Mr Rudd laughed.The chief executive of Sky News, Angelo Frangopoulos, said A-SPAN would be available on pay TV from January 20. He expected it would initially be available on free-to-air digital TV only in Sydney.Former Nine and Seven network political correspondent Laurie Wilson will host a program on A-SPAN, which will also provide broadcasts of the British and New Zealand parliaments and question time from parliaments in Queensland, NSW and Victoria, with more to come.There will also be live broadcasts of speeches from the National Press Club, think-tanks such as the Lowy Institute and the Sydney Institute, and from universities.
Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd launched the Australian Subscription Public Affairs Network today. The channel, a production of Sky News and subscription television providers Foxtel and Austar is modeled on the United States' C-SPAN channel. Broadcasts will commence January 20, 2009.
A-SPAN will commence broadcasting January 20, 2009
The initiative is solely funded by industry with no contribution from the government.

The network will be available on subscription television, the Internet and digital free-to-air television and will show sittings of Federal parliament as well as the United States Congress, New Zealand parliament, British House of Commons and state parliaments in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.

Live speeches at the National Press Club will also be covered.

A-SPAN has also entered into a deal to show Australian politics on the US C-SPAN network.

Prime Minister Rudd said that A-SPAN will give a "fly-on-the-wall" perspective of politics, in the same vein as C-SPAN in the US. He said A-SPAN is "a good thing for our democracy" and that "it's a superb initiative".

Mr Rudd conceded that the channel will be popular among fans of politics.

“Political junkies will of course love it, they'll now have one more way to drive their family and friends absolutely mad,” Mr Rudd said. 

Mr Rudd said he looked forward to introducing Australian English from the parliament of Australia to an international audience.