by Thinus Ferreira
The South African public broadcaster will now broadcast all press conferences and media briefings of the South African government live on SABC2 and, or SABC3 as cases of the Covid-19 increase in the country and worldwide during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The SABC said on Saturday afternoon that there is a growing need for public awareness around the coronavirus outbreak.
"Consistent with nationwide efforts to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic the SABC as the primary source of public service content will continue to provide citizens with valuable, accurate and factual news and information during this period," says the SABC.
"In order to ensure that the whole population urgently gets access to critical public messaging, from today onwards, all relevant media briefings and other communications relating to the coronavirus will be carried live on SABC 2 and/or SABC 3."
The SABC says that the specific channel for transmission will be announced once the information becomes available, or closer to the time.
"It is the SABC's public interest obligation to ensure that all our citizens are appropriately and adequately empowered with credible information, in order to adhere to prescribed precautionary measures and lockdown regulations," says Madoda Mxakwe, SABC CEO.
The SABC has set up a disaster recovery site away from its Auckland Park headquarters in Johannesburg, consisting out of Outside Broadcast (OB) vans.
This site will take over in case of emergency to ensure that SABC TV and radio broadcasts continue uninterrupted. Two more studios at Auckland Park have been reserved for use by the department of education from which educational programming will be produced during the national lockdown period.
The SABC has also shut down all SABC Sport TV productions that are being replaced on schedules with licensed international sports content. Midday programming is being replaced with educational content.
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ALSO READ: Coronavirus: SABC News journalist tests positive for Covid-19 in Kimberley as public broadcaster shutters Northern Cape office and quarantines staffers.
ALSO READ: Coronavirus: SABC sets up disaster recovery site with Outside Broadcast vans; production of soaps and scripted shows shuttered; news and actuality to continue during 21-day national lockdown.
