I can be first to reveal that SABC3 is set to roll-out and debut its brand-new website within days - possibly as soon as Tuesday or Wednesday next week - and will become the first South African broadcaster to stream and allow viewers to watch episodes of some of the locally produced shows on its schedule in its entirely for free on the website.
SABC3's refreshed new website that will incorporate social media like Facebook and Twitter as a major component of the redesign, will happen next week and follow days after DStv launched their refreshed new website yesterday.
I've known about SABC3's massive website plans and redesign for months and kept close track of it, and now I can spill that the redesign will happen next week. Visitors will be able to track shows, interact with each other, and the channel. Because of broadcasting rights that have to be cleared for this platform (and SABC3 intends to do that from now on), international shows won't be streamed or be available initially.
SABC3 plans to add some local shows however and will start small but expands as quickly as possible and watching episodes in its entirety will be free. ''We want to be like Fox and some other American networks where people can catch up quickly if they've missed an episode by coming to our website,'' SABC3 tells me. ''With some of the local content and some local shows, if people haven't seen it, they can't make a plan to see it elsewhere like with international shows. Now we want to start giving them that option.''
