StarSat has added the BRICS TV channel to the pay-TV operator's line-up, with the channel that will be covering events, news and showcasing trade opportunities between the 5 emerging economies group of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Besides StarTimes and On Digital Media's (ODM) StarSat, the BRICS channel, done by Moja Media, will also be carried by StarTimes in the rest of South Africa, StarSat's pan-African Chinese parent group.
The BRICS channel is a permanent addition to StarSat and StarTimes on channel 509, although its launch on Friday, 20 July at 13:00 comes just before the 2018 BRICS summit taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa, between 25 and 27 July that will surely be covered on this channel.
StarTimes says the BRICS channel will have various shows dedicated to "the vision of the BRICS countries" and is a "communication and advertising platform" for businesses and brands and for the latest business news from the various BRICS nations.
The channel will "strengthen peoples to peoples relations" and will showcase trade and industry and business opportunities, show bilateral agreement and conferences and events, have entertainment, culture and sport aspects related to BRICS, and highlight investment opportunities as well as what development funds there are from BRICS and the BRICS bank.
"ODM is a broadcaster dedicated to a developmental paradigm in the broadcasting space. We believe that access to information to the most ordinary and rural communities will ensure a better educated society," says Debbie Wu, ODM CEO.
"In order to bring such information and opportunities in reach to everyone, StarSat is delighted to work with Moja Media to deliver this important channel."
Laurence Mitchell, Moja Media business development executive, says "For years the people of Africa in general, and in South Africa in particular, raised concerns that BRICS is a concept only understood by government people".
"It is for this reason that Moja Media decided to initiate the first-ever BRICS channel on a TV-platform, so that we bring opportunities closer to the people and not only decision-makers of BRICS and its governments. This open the door for the creative arts and for filmmakers and producers to come forward to us with their concepts."
