AUGUSTA – A new weekly television talk show will examine a host of Maine issues, from budget issues and fair taxes to health care, Social Security and the effect of the federal budget on Maine. The show, “State of the State,” will debut at 7:30 p.m. March 1 on Adelphia Channel 9 throughout Maine.

“We intend that the show will be lively and thought-provoking, shedding more light than heat on important state issues,” said Christopher St. John, executive director of the Maine Center for Economic Policy. St. John is the host of the show.

“The content and conversation will be fact-based rather than ideologically driven,” St. John added. Typically, shows will have one or two guests and focus on specific issues important to Maine people. Eventually, there will be a call-in show once a month.

The March 1 show will lead off with either Gov. John Baldacci or U.S. Rep. Tom Allen as guests, with subsequent shows featuring other members of the congressional delegation, legislative leaders, community and business leaders, and policy experts.

“While the mission of the Maine Center for Economic Policy is to promote policies which benefit low- and moderate-income Maine people, our methods are research-based rather than policy driven. We are nonpartisan, and the goals for the show are dialogue and diversity, not confrontation and propaganda,” St. John said.

The director of “State of the State,” Trudy DeBlois, Adelphia’s station manager, said she was “excited about the opportunity to produce a show that will have a broad interest to our subscribers.”

Adelphia Channel 9 is the largest commercial television station in Maine, serving more than 150,000 homes from Bangor to Kennebunkport.

In addition to airing at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, the program will also be shown at 11:30 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays.