eMedia Investments Chief Executive Officer, André van der Veen says, “OpenNews will be broadcast out of the Cape Town studios, offering viewers an integrated news channel combining short format news, onscreen information and links with selected social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram, and a proprietary app. Openview viewers consume news differently from traditional news broadcasts”.
“eMedia Investments has the talent, knowledge and experience to launch South Africa’s first satellite free-to-air television news channel. OpenNews will be an independent news service, but hosts will be encouraged to ‘to take a view’ on regional, international, sports, entertainment and financial news.”
The line-up will also syndicate the recently launched entertainment programme, The Spotlight with Tanya Nefdt and two new current affairs shows – The Tim Modise Network, and The Fix with Karima Brown.
“Five years ago, eMedia Investments launched Openview to provide free satellite television to the South African television market. We have consistently expanded our content offering on the platform and the success of our recently launched channels, eBella and Kwesé Sports, has demonstrated that our audience is attractive and sought after by advertisers.
“The number of Openview set-top box activations has increased to over 1,2 million, and the latest audience research indicates that viewers want a local news channel on the platform. Given this, we decided to launch OpenNews,” says van der Veen.
The company will also launch a two-hour block of Afrikaans programming on eExtra (available on Openview channel 105 and DStv channel 195). The block will include entertainment, current affairs programming and a news bulletin. The programme mix is in the final stages of being finalised and the line-up will be announced in the next few weeks.
