"The SABC needs to communicate more clearly that yes, the SABC News channel is starting on pay-TV but very soon it will be available on digital terrestrial television so that the masses out there can also benefit."
So says the minister of communications Yunus Carrim, who already took the SABC to task for its bad communication and said that the SABC needs to communicate more.
He doesn't feel that the SABC is doing a good enough job of marketing and communicating that the SABC News channel will be available for free once digital terrestrial television (DTT) starts in South Africa - a process delayed for many years now.
"The SABC is not meant to be elite, and we need to emphasize that more, so that we make it clear that the poor and the rural people will benefit even more than those who can pay for television," said Yunus Carrim about the new SABC News channel.
"The pay-TV platform affords the SABC access to decision makers who largely view the paid DStv platform," he said about the SABC News channel starting out on MultiChoice's satellite pay-TV platform.
"We also hope that this SABC News channel will give you the space to win back audience that have been failing, and to reach out to people who are your traditional viewers," he said in his address to SABC executives the about the launch of the new 24-hour news channel.
SABC News replaces the SABC's first attempt, SABC News International which was shut down after three years at the end of March 2010.
"Such 24-hour news channels are a risk everywhere in the world. It will obviously be a challenge but working together we can address them," said Yunus Carrim.
