A group of young anchors will lead coverage on South Africa's new Open News TV news channel launching on Thursday, 1 November at 17:00 on eMedia Investment's Openview free-to-air satellite TV service.
Open News will have a different approach to covering the news than the more traditional style of eNCA (DStv 403) that eMedia is supplying to MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service, and the South African public broadcaster's SABC News (DStv 404).
Newzroom Afrika that will launch in early-2019 on DStv to replace the dumped and shuttered Afro Worldview will also have a heavy social media slant and will very likely look with hawk eyes from this evening at what and how Open News is doing things
The Open News anchors and news readers, as well as the reporters stationed nationwide all throughout South Africa, are young and relatively unknown to a national TV audience - something that hampers credibility.
Part of the matrix in this case though is that Open News doesn't seem to need pre-established credibility at launch since that isn't the mould the channel is coming from.
Open News is targeting a new media demo who scroll, whatsapp and do insta-selfies and who care less about who is bringing them the news, and more about getting it in a real-time, unfiltered (except photos), and in an unending loop.
On Open News Naledi Moleo, Koketso Sachane and Ayanda Dlamini will guide viewers through the day's "trending" news, including the top celebrity and showbiz stories.
Adrian Botha will anchor Open News' sports coverage, while Inge Isaacs is the weather presenter.
"Our anchors are young, opinionated and sassy. They are informed and ready to engage on a range of topics. Open News has purposefully recruited a team that reflects a new South Africa," says Nisa Allie, OpenNews managing director.
Naledi Moleo has been a TV presenter, producer and radio host. She has worked at the SABC's SAfm where she hosted a number of talk shows.
Koketso Sachane has worked as a radio host, journalist and editor for almost two decades. He hosted The Koketso Sachane Show on CapeTalk for many years.
Ayanda Dlamini is Open News' social media anchor. Having hosted her own Good Hope FM radio show for over a decade, she will be the conduit for the day's viral social media stories.
Open News will broadcast between 17:00 and 23:00 on channel 120 on Openview, with the rest of the schedule that will be filled with international news content from global TV news channels.
ALSO READ: IN PHOTOS. Official launch event of eMedia's new Open News free-to-air TV news channel on Openview.
