Meanwhile e.tv's second TV news channel, OpenNews, starting on its Openview free-to-air satellite is apparently also looking at a 1 October launch according to insiders, although that couldn't be independently confirmed.
OpenNews will be a direct rival to e.tv's own eNCA (DStv 403) channel supplied to MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform and is created to boost and expand Openview's existing channels offering but to also serve as a new TV news channel brand back-up in case future channel carriage negotiations between MultiChoice and eMedia Investments for eNCA don't work out and eNCA is removed from DStv.
eMedia Investments hired staffers and reporters for Nuusdag om 8 - or Nuusdag (Newsday) for short - and the daily news show will be broadcast on e.tv's eExtra channel from 1 October on channel 105.
Besides being on Openview, the eExtra channel is also available to all DStv subscribers on channel 195, and to StarSat subscribers on channel 489.
Nuusdag scheduled at 20:00 will not just be competition for SABC2's Afrikaans TV news bulletin at 18:30, but ironically also for eNuus on kykNET (DStv 144) and kykNET & kie (DStv 145) at 19:00 with eNuus that is produced for M-Net's Afrikaans TV channels on DStv by e.tv's news division.
Although still covering news nationally and presumably using the same eNews footage archive, according to insiders Nuusdag and OpenNews will be predominantly done from e.tv's Cape Town building in Zonnebloem to somewhat counter eNCA on DStv that is predominantly produced from e.tv's Hyde Park headquarters in Johannesburg.
Other Afrikaans content on eExtra starting on 1 October in the dedicated 2-hour Afrikaans programming block will include the hour-long drama series Gebroke Harte at 19:00, followed by the half-hour Nuusdag at 20:00.
After that eExtra will show series like Nisboere with presenters Anrich Herbst, Chris de Clerq and Simonia Magardie that's been shown on Media24's VIA (DStv 147) channel on DStv.
Last week Openview held retail workshops for satellite TV installers and previewed the new programming under the theme of "Kuiertyd".
e.tv's marketing communications manager, Makatseng Mokome, didn't respond to media requests this week seeking clarity around Nuusdag and OpenNews and more programming information.
