Kordia’s operations team allow New Zealanders an unprecedented view into Parliamentary proceedings with live web-casts of Parliamentary debates commencing in July 2007, followed by Freeview in October 2007.

While the House of Representatives is sitting, around 17.5 hours of proceedings are filmed each week by eight remote-controlled cameras.
 
Members of the public can watch the live streaming on www.parliament.nz and a continuous quality live feed is available on channel 22 Freeview TV. This can also be accessed via channel 94 on SKY decoders.

Repeats of ‘Question Time’ are being transmitted on sitting days during the meal recess at 6:00pm and again when the House rises at 10:00pm on Tuesday and Wednesday. When the house goes into recess on Thursdays, the business of the House is repeated from the start of ‘Question Time’ until 10:00pm when the days ‘Question Time’ is repeated again.

Although this is a new step for New Zealand, we are joining around 60 other countries, including most of the OECD, which televise all or part of their Parliamentary proceedings. 

Kordia’s core values were pivotal to the success of this contract. The project needed the expertise of a company that could adapt to fit the client’s changing needs. Kordia demonstrated that flexibility. That, combined with its capabilities and a determination to implement the most efficient methodologies, underpinned Kordia’s winning tender—and successful project delivery.

Facilities for commercial operators to use their own cameras in the House remain in place and the Sessional rules governing filming within Parliament have been modified to allow for a more professional coverage of the proceedings.

Providing on-site engineering support for all on-air hours, Kordia also has a four-person operational crew which includes a Director, Technical Director, Camera operator and Video Tape operator.

The project aims to make proceedings in the House more accessible and to improve the public’s understanding of the democratic process.

Commenting on the impending broadcasts, the Speaker of the House, Hon Margaret Wilson, said the broadcast allows the public to view entire debates; not just highlights.

“Televising Parliament is valuable to democracy, as it gives the public the ability to see how legislation is made and how the government of the day conducts itself.”

The Parliament TV project is yet another example of Kordia’s people and technology coming together to deliver a truly unique product to all New Zealanders.