He says that ANN7 will aid diversity and news plurality in the country, that it will most likely be available on all of DStv's bouquets and stresses that MultiChoice is not giving the channel any money.
News about the proposed new local 24-hour news channel from Infinity Media, which would replace the SABC's constantly delayed but planned 24-hour news channel on DStv broke last week.
It will be called the Africa News Network 7 or ANN7 for short. Interestingly, almost nobody in South Africa's TV industry knew anything about the start-up of a new 24-hour local TV news channel.
On Saturday I spoke with Imtiaz Patel from MultiChoice in South Africa to get the latest and correct facts on ANN7, MultiChoice's proposed plans about it, and why the satellite pay-TV operator wants to add this channel.
Imtiaz, when would Africa News Network 7 or ANN7 be launching? August?
Imtiaz Patel: I don't get involved in the detail but from a very high level I can tell you that the plan is to launch around then, maybe slightly earlier, maybe a bit later. There's always ongoing discussions with the content people and it depends on their plans and the building of studios. A lot depends on the many different variables.
Why another local 24-hour channel on DStv? What will make it different or will DStv through that new channel bring to DStv subscribers?
Imtiaz Patel: Firstly, from MultiChoice, we like to give our subscribers diversity. Secondly we've got a number of international news channels - BBC World News, CNN International, Al Jazeera, Euronews. We've only got one local news channel [eNCA].
Number three, you know that local content is lekker. Local content is becoming a big thing in broadcasting. If you look at Radio 702, South Africans want to know what is happening in their communities, they want to know what is happening in their provinces, in their cities. The proposition that they've presented is that they're going to be heavily focused on local coverage.
They're willing to invest a lot of money in local content and local is a big thing. That helps to bring more diversity. We already have one local 24-hour news channel and another one will give viewers and subscribers more diversity.
Ultimately, remember, as with all of our TV channels we have performance clauses. The channels we have ultimately have to perform. After a year - after a period of time and giving people enough time - you do a review, and if a channel don't perform we take action.
Do you know yet whether Africa News Network 7 will only be a premium TV channel? Will it only be for DStv Premium or what bouquets?
Imtiaz Patel: No Thinus that is not correct. It will probably go for all of the DStv bouquets.
What assistance is DStv giving the channel? Is there financial assistance?
Imtiaz Patel: No. We're not paying for the channel. Obviously we'll do the usual guidance for the channel when they come for reviews and things, we will give them our usual guidance which is what we do with everybody.
Okay. A very open ended question and you might be able to guess why I'm asking it, but does MultiChoice support any kind of political ideology or political party?
Why another local 24-hour channel on DStv? What will make it different or will DStv through that new channel bring to DStv subscribers?
Imtiaz Patel: Firstly, from MultiChoice, we like to give our subscribers diversity. Secondly we've got a number of international news channels - BBC World News, CNN International, Al Jazeera, Euronews. We've only got one local news channel [eNCA].
Number three, you know that local content is lekker. Local content is becoming a big thing in broadcasting. If you look at Radio 702, South Africans want to know what is happening in their communities, they want to know what is happening in their provinces, in their cities. The proposition that they've presented is that they're going to be heavily focused on local coverage.
They're willing to invest a lot of money in local content and local is a big thing. That helps to bring more diversity. We already have one local 24-hour news channel and another one will give viewers and subscribers more diversity.
Ultimately, remember, as with all of our TV channels we have performance clauses. The channels we have ultimately have to perform. After a year - after a period of time and giving people enough time - you do a review, and if a channel don't perform we take action.
Do you know yet whether Africa News Network 7 will only be a premium TV channel? Will it only be for DStv Premium or what bouquets?
Imtiaz Patel: No Thinus that is not correct. It will probably go for all of the DStv bouquets.
What assistance is DStv giving the channel? Is there financial assistance?
Imtiaz Patel: No. We're not paying for the channel. Obviously we'll do the usual guidance for the channel when they come for reviews and things, we will give them our usual guidance which is what we do with everybody.
Okay. A very open ended question and you might be able to guess why I'm asking it, but does MultiChoice support any kind of political ideology or political party?
Imtiaz Patel: Absolutely not. Absolutely not.
Categorically no. We're a bouquet of channels and ultimately we're a platform. We do not get involved in editorial policy and we never will get involved in any editorial policy.We want to give our viewers a diversity of views, content. It would be like saying we like sci-fi and therefore we will have more sci-fi movies channels instead of romance movie channels. No way. No.
When this news broke, as a journalist I immediately asked people and none of them knew, and I think other people were as surprised. Nobody that I talked to knew anything about this. How long ago did you start negotiations or did you begin talking about Africa News Network 7?
Imtiaz Patel: The first presentation was made to us long ago. About two years ago already, you know. It was on and off and on and off, that kind of thing. Remember we also didn't have the capacity at that time satellite wise. There's a lot of factors which have an influence and which change from time to time like very practical issues - we launched the new satellite only in October.
The last question, is there possibly just anything that DStv can please say or just clarify as to why the SABC's planned 24-hour news channel will now not be happening anymore on DStv. That's my last question.
Imtiaz Patel: Thinus, it was intended to happen. We have never publicly, officially announced anything, so we can't say it's not going to happen if we never said that it was going to happen. So we never announced anything like it was on. We were in discussions with them and they had discussions with us. They intended to do it. But there's lots of issues of course, like financing of the channel and a million of other things. But you need to ask the SABC that.
Imtiaz Patel: The first presentation was made to us long ago. About two years ago already, you know. It was on and off and on and off, that kind of thing. Remember we also didn't have the capacity at that time satellite wise. There's a lot of factors which have an influence and which change from time to time like very practical issues - we launched the new satellite only in October.
The last question, is there possibly just anything that DStv can please say or just clarify as to why the SABC's planned 24-hour news channel will now not be happening anymore on DStv. That's my last question.
Imtiaz Patel: Thinus, it was intended to happen. We have never publicly, officially announced anything, so we can't say it's not going to happen if we never said that it was going to happen. So we never announced anything like it was on. We were in discussions with them and they had discussions with us. They intended to do it. But there's lots of issues of course, like financing of the channel and a million of other things. But you need to ask the SABC that.
