SA's first 24-hour news channel launches Sunday

“The team has been rehearsing for the historic launch for the past three weeks. This has allowed everyone involved in the set up to adjust and become familiar with their individual roles while working as a cohesive team,” Patta added.

“A professional and dedicated team of news, IT, engineering, archives and operations specialists have put in a tremendous amount of work to make this a reality. We are looking forward to seeing Redi Direko and Jeremy Maggs launch the channel.”

Patta, who categorically declined to divulge the cost of the project or the foreign parties involved (if any), said that a local team studied a number of international 24-hour news channels to learn from them. “These channels include CNN, Sky News and Al-Jazeera. But the actual implementation of the strategy and news set-up is entirely controlled and managed by South Africans,” she explained.

Biggest achievement

Many observers believe that the launch of eNews Channel is the biggest achievement of e.tv, a private TV station well-known for its thought-provoking news slogan ‘no fear no favour', and which claims to boast a complete editorial freedom, intact of a slight grain of government interference.

eNews channel, which will employ an excess of 150 people apart from the abovementioned specialists, will broadcast on DStv's MultiChoice on channel 403, including DStv Compact.

Asked to unpack e.tv's relationship with Randburg-based MultiChoice, Patta replied: “e.Sat, e.tv's sister business free-to-air TV channel, is initiating its multi-channel strategy with the launch of SA's independent TV news service on MultiChoice's DStv platform. This is part of our strategy to be a channel supplier rather than a platform operator.

“e.Sat will also be producing a number of other channels for the DStv platform over the next few years.”

Latest technologies

The soon-to-be launched eNews Channel's brand new studios is said to boast the latest technologies such as big high-definition plasma touch-screens, robotic cameras and satellite newsgathering trucks.

While eNews Channel's anchor line-up will be led by the duo Direko-Maggs, the team includes experienced journalists such as Robyn Smith, Andrew Barnes, Macfarlane Moleli, Uveka Rangappa, Tshepang Motsekuao and e.tv's flamboyant senior reporter Iman Rappetti.