The SABC plans to launch its “new” (as in replacement for SABC News International) 24 hour news channel on 1 April in conjunction with MultiChoice which will be contributing a once-off R10 million to the news channel to help with start-up costs and pay a further R15 million annually to have the channel on the DStv platform.
The SABC tried to launch the new 24-hour news channel on April Fools’ day last year, but didn’t make the deadline and moved it to October.
The October date came and went and the planned start was moved to 2012. Now, April 1 is the new target date once again.
The SABC told parliament that the new news channel is seen as a key driver of the transformation and turn-around strategy for the public broadcaster.
The SABC is planning to spend R288,9 million over the next three years on the 24 hour news channel which is to replace the failed SABC News International channel which was launched in July 2007 but ran for less than two and a half years before closing down in March 2010 despite an investment of millions of rands by the SABC. The channel will be new competition for e.tv’s eNews Channel (DStv 403) which has so far been the only South African 24 hour TV news channel in the country.
Read More at [Channel24]
