The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) on Tuesday announced plans to launch a new Africa digital satellite channel in October to broadcast news to Africa and the world.
SABC representative Marj Murray said SABC Africa would incorporate the present SABC Africa and Africa-to-Africa (A2A) on the DSTV suite of channels.
She said the channel would allow Africa to gather and broadcast news to the world instead of relying on British, European and American broadcast networks for news about Africa.
”SABC Africa will become a fully Africa-based international television broadcast network that will give the world Africa news, seen through the eyes of and told by Africans,” Murray said.
The channel will be broadcast on DSTV and will also go out overnight and during parts of the day on SABC 2.
It will broadcast approximately 70% news and current affairs programmes and 30% Africa-produced entertainment, drama and magazine programmes.
Murray said the channel would use SABC-generated news and current affairs material from a network of contributing offices and SABC news bureaus as well as entering into partnerships with other broadcasting corporations in Africa.
SABC’s director of corporate and regulatory affairs, Ihron Rensburg said that South Africans continued to be isolated from the continent.
”The new SABC Africa channel will foster real and meaningful communication between South Africa and the continent. It will also be in a great position to appraise and communicate progress made with the establishment of the African Union and other critical African projects,” Rensburg said. – Sapa