The SABC sees its proposed new 24 hour news channel on MultiChoice's DStv, covering just South African news as opposed to the world with SABC News International previously, as a key driver of the beleaguered public broadcaster's turnaround strategy.
The new 24 hour news channel that the SABC wanted to launch on 1 April 2011 (as I broke the news RIGHT HERE in early February) - had its starting date confirmed this afternoon by a promotional video clip about the news channel that was played in parliament today that showed 1 April 2011 as it's now come-and-gone starting date. The new 24 hour news channel that the SABC wants to start on MultiChoice as a satellite channel but as part of the public bouquet, will replace the SABC News International channel that's no longer broadcasting as a stand-alone TV channel.
The 24 hour news channel will eventually become one of the free additional digital channels that the SABC broadcast after the switch-over to digital terrestrial television (DTT). ''When we've been talking about a 24 news channel,'' the SABC's acting group CEO Robin Nicholson said in parliament, ''it really is the repositioning of SABC News into the digital age.''
