CPAC Marks 20 Years with New Digital Archive

News Release

CPAC Marks 20 Years with New Digital Archive
Launch Scheduled for October 15^th

(Ottawa, September 26, 2012) – As part of its 20^th anniversary celebrations, CPAC announced today the upcoming launch of The CPAC Digital Archive: Rewinding the Public Record. It will include thousands of hours of prime political programming, from the proceedings of the House of Commons to the inquiries that made the headlines, available at the touch of a keyboard.

“The cable industry has proudly owned and invested in CPAC for two decades,” says Ken Stein, Chair of CPAC’s Board of Directors. “The CPAC Digital Archive will put 20 years of political history in viewers’ hands and reinforce our dedication to CPAC.”

In 1977, Canada became the first country in the world to televise parliamentary proceedings. To commemorate the renewal of that commitment by Canada’s cable companies in 1992, Canadians will have access, on October 15^th, to the hallmarks of history, from the head-to-head battles of Pierre Trudeau and Joe Clark to the rise of Stephen Harper. It will offer the press conferences, the debates, the controversies and the elections that have drawn our political, economic and social trajectory.

“For 20 years, CPAC has been a window on democracy for Canadians,” champions Colette Watson, CPAC’s President and General Manager. “The video archive project reflects our ongoing public service mission to connect viewers with their rich political heritage.”

At launch on October 15^th, The CPAC Digital Archive will include:

• 2,000 hours of House of Commons proceedings from 1977 into 1980, to culminate in a total of 18,000 hours;
• 1,500 hours of key Commissions of Inquiry, including complete coverage of the Gomery, Arar, Air India and Oliphant commissions;
• Over 19,000 hours of contemporary CPAC programming on demand.

CPAC gratefully acknowledges Library and Archives Canada for their assistance in making televised House of Commons debates available to The CPAC Digital Archive.

Follow us on Twitter (@CPAC_TV) or Facebook (CPACTV) for the latest developments. For complete details on this and other CPAC programming visit www.cpac.ca.

About CPAC

CPAC is Canada’s only privately-owned, commercial free, not for profit, bilingual licensed television service. Created in 1992 by a consortium of cable companies to preserve an independent editorial voice for Canada’s democratic process, CPAC provides a window on parliamentary, political and public affairs in Canada and the world. Since 1992, the cable industry has invested more than $50 million in CPAC.

CPAC is delivered via cable, satellite and wireless distributors to over 11 million Canadian homes and worldwide via 24/7 live webstreaming and podcasts at www.cpac.ca.

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For more information:

Jennifer Thomlinson
CPAC
Tel: (613) 364-1131
Cell: (613) 355-5771
E-mail: jthomlinson@cpac.ca

All CPAC programming can be viewed simultaneous to the television broadcast at www.cpac.ca.