The 24-hour news and current affairs TV channel will be broadcast on DStv in multiple languages with a focus on local, national and world events.
The New Age newspaper's CEO Nazeem Howa who is a director involved with setting up the new news channel, says in a just-issued statement that "television audiences will soon have further diversity in their news choices" with the launch of the new news channel.
It comes after MultiChoice and the SABC's proposed 24-hour news channel which the SABC said would launch in September 2012 failed to materialize. The SABC's 24-hour news channel has had many failed and multiple postponed launch dates. MultiChoice would have invested millions of rands into the new channel venture.
South Africa already has the eNCA (DStv 403) channel broadcasting on MultiChoice's platform, the only local 24-hour news channel currently in operation after SABC News International folded after the channel was closed down by the SABC following millions of rands in operating costs.
The new 24-hour news channel from Infinity Media - a joint venture between Essel Media, Oakbay Investments (Oakbay Investments is the majority shareholder in The New Age newspaper) and a black economic empowerment group - has started work on what is envisioned to be the new TV news channel's studios in Midrand.
"We believe that there is a clear need for a local 24/7 news channel which is totally dedicated to regions and communities in South Africa and we are pleased to be a partner in this path-breaking venture," says Laxmi Narain Goel, Essel Media manager in the statement.
"We believe this will change the news media space in South Africa."
