On 1 June, South Africa’s first 24-hour channel, eNews Channel, was launched. The channel is an expansion of eNews, the news service of free-to-air commercial broadcaster e.tv and has been two years in the making.
News anchors Redi Direko and Jeremy Maggs launched the channel with the prime time News Night slot at 7pm. eNews Channel is available on the DStv Premium and Compact bouquets on channel 403.
The studios, situated at e.tv’s Johannesburg headquarters, are equipped with the latest technologies, including big high definition (HD) plasma touch-screens, robotic cameras and satellite newsgathering trucks.
e.tv’s Chief Operating Officer Bronwyn Keene-Young commented: “We are taking what is already a powerful brand on e.tv and expanding it into a 24-hour news channel. Our research into what South Africans want from a multi-channel environment proves undoubtedly that news is at the top of the list.
“We are particularly proud that the eNews Channel is being established by the same team that was responsible for the success of eNews over the past four years. The set-up involved a multi-disciplinary team of highly committed professionals including news, IT, engineering, archives and operations specialists who have put in a tremendous amount of work to make this a reality. “
