The SABC has had plans to launch a new channel for a while. It has now announced that its new channel will again attempt an April 1 launch. And no, that’s no April Fool’s joke like last time. They’re serious this time. The channel will be a 24-hour news channel, and will be launched in conjunction with MultiChoice.

The SABC has faced all kinds of turmoil in the last few years. However, it recently told Parliament that the new news channel is seen as a way for it to transform its image in public discourse.

On top of this, it would provide an opportunity to launch a turn-around strategy for the public broadcaster.

According to a report, the new channel will be in competition to the eNews Channel, and it, along with a proposed sport channel, will eventually be transferred to the SABC’s own digital terrestrial network:

The SABC is planning to spend R288,9 million over the next three years on the 24-hour news channel which is to replace the failed SABC News International channel launched in July 2007.

The SABC News International channel ran for less than two and a half years before closing down in March 2010 despite an investment of millions of rands by the SABC.

The channel will be new competition for e.tv’s eNews Channel [DStv 403], which has so far been the only South African 24-hour TV news channel in the country.

The SABC is also planning to spend R732,7 million on setting up a separate SABC Sport TV channel over the next two years.

Both the news channel, which will launch on MultiChoice, and the eventual sport channel, will become free channels as part of the SABC’s digital terrestrial television [DTT] offering during the switch-over to digital broadcasting in South Africa.

So what can you expect form the new channel? Well, pretty much what you get on the eNews channel now: documentaries, talk shows, current affair shows, magazine shows, and so forth.

The obvious main difference: the presenters.

Unlike its predecessor, SABC International, the new channel will focus more on South African affairs, as opposed to those from abroad. The new channel will cost the SABC at least R80 million per year to operate.

[Source: Channel24]