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History of CPAC
CPAC was created by the cable industry in 1992 as the Cable Parliamentary Channel, an experimental service whose primary mandate was to broadcast House of Commons proceedings. In 1995, CPAC was licensed by the CRTC as a national programming service, and in 1996 the station re-launched as the Cable Public Affairs Channel, reflecting an expanded broadcast schedule of unique public affairs programming.
Timeline
1977 - Canada becomes the first country in the world to televise live parliamentary debates, beginning with the Speech from the Throne by Queen Elizabeth II.
1979 - The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the federal broadcast regulator, grants the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) the exclusive license to provide the service.
1986 - Members of the Canadian cable television industry propose enhancing the Parliamentary Channel to include additional public affairs programming.
1988 - To further this objective, the CBC and the cable industry agree to build upon the original Parliamentary Channel to form the Canadian Parliamentary Channel (CPAC).
1990 - The House of Commons gives the CPAC proposal unanimous all-party support.
1991 - The CBC announces that it will cease funding the channel because of budget cuts. The House of Commons itself begins to pay for satellite transmission of its proceedings. The annual cost to taxpayers is $2 million.
Early 1992 - A consortium of 27 Canadian cable companies forms to distribute the service, ensuring that millions of Canadian cable households would continue to receive House of Commons broadcasts at no cost to taxpayers or cable subscribers.
October 1992 - The consortium takes over operation of CPAC.
September 1993 - In response to CPAC's application, the CRTC grants a short-term experimental broadcasting license, giving the channel the flexibility to develop further as a forum for public affairs programming.
January 20, 1995 - CPAC is granted a seven-year renewal of its broadcasting license commencing September 1, 1995. Under its agreement with the Speaker of the House of Commons, CPAC distributes live coverage of the House proceedings, then repeats the entire proceedings each day. The rest of the daily schedule is filled with long-form programming of conferences, speeches and proceedings from provincial legislatures.
October 1, 1996 - CPAC launches a new season, new image, and a new name, the Cable Public Affairs Channel, to reflect its increased coverage of public affairs programming, which includes 30 hours a week of original network programming, and 46 hours a week of long-form coverage of House and Senate Committees, public hearings, conferences and special events.
November 19, 2002 - In renewing CPAC’s broadcasting license, the CRTC requires that CPAC be carried by most Canadian cable and satellite providers in both official languages.
September 26, 2012 - As part of our 20th anniversary celebration, CPAC launches the CPAC Digital Archive, giving website visitors on-demand access to thousands of hours of House of Commons proceedings and CPAC programming.
March 18, 2019 - With the introduction of cameras in the Senate, CPAC begins broadcasting and livestreaming complete, uninterrupted proceedings of Parliament’s upper chamber.
