Well. Wonders never seize. Suddenly the SABC and the South African public broadcaster's SABC News division has a brand-new on-air promo for news - the first such one in more than a decade specifically touting the SABC's news reach, coverage and reportage.
The only problem? Everything about it looks embarrassingly very much like the eNCA (DStv 403) news channel - even down to the dominant and "foreign" colours of red and blue the SABC's new employs. The on-air TV promo also comes after the new on-air promo of the eNCA released at the end of August.
"As SABC News we provide you with news coverage in-depth and with a broader range of stories. Our state-of-the-art newsroom has the most up to date digital technology, covering the news that affect you.
From world events, to business, sport, politics, and the weather."
"As the biggest news organisation on the continent we are committed to bringing you all the news. No-one has the news covered like SABC News. Don't miss it." says various news anchors of the SABC's news bulletins.
They're showcased with a backdrop of the SABC news offices and final control centre bathed in hues of red and blue - colours these places in the 37 years of the SABC's news room's existence at Auckland Park has never been seen in before.
The red-lined banners with light blue which the SABC employs in the new SABC News promo is not only not in keeping with the SABC logo and the SABC's corporate colours, it's extremely strongly evocative of the on-air look and feel of the eNCA - especially the "old" eNews Channel, especially in terms of how the eNews Channel's "breaking news" banners looked.
Of course the SABC and SABC News can use any colours it wishes to - it's just perplexing as to why the SABC would suddenly so closely choose to mimic a just-retired on-air look of a competitor TV news platform.
Of course the SABC is gearing up to launch its own new 24-hour TV news channel on MultiChoice's DStv to replace the failed and retired SABC News International channel which was discontinued and removed from DStv a few years ago.
Most of the graphics work in the new promo looks vastly amateur for today's standards. Especially the deep-etching of the various anchors and cardboard cut-outs look very rough and literally "rough around the edges". The promo comes across as perhaps hastily-done with little attention to detail - or have otherwise been done with inferior equipment or technology.
And if you see it, take a look, or ask yourself afterwards, if you've seen or have a recollection of the "SABC News" logo - whether you can recall it or have seen it strongly and boldly being employed or used and being reinforced in this red-and-blue promo.
