Enews Channel Africa launches in UK

Rebranded eNews Channel Africa on Sunday, 19 August 2012, the channel launched its 24-hour news service to UK viewers through the Sky digital satellite platform, which boasts more than 10-million subscribers, on Monday.

On Tuesday, South African president Jacob Zuma congratulated eNCA on their move, "which contributes positively to the development of the broadcasting industry in our country and in Africa.

"We sincerely hope that the outcome will be the provision of an avenue for Africans to tell their own stories to the world in their own words and perspective," Zuma said in a statement.

eNCA Africa editor, Chris Maroleng told Business Day that the establishment of the UK network would allow for more objective international reporting on the African continent.

Africa was often covered by the international media "in the form of stereotypes" presenting it "as a continent pervaded by doom and gloom," Maroleng told Business Day.

The eNews African Edition, appearing during UK prime time, will provide an African perspective on Africa, working from bureaux in Johannesburg, Lagos and Nairobi.

eNCA, available to African DStv subscribers on Channel 403, offers its special daily pan-African news broadcast for Sky pay-TV subscribers on Channel 518 from 9pm to 11:30pm, repeated later.

Patrick Conroy, group head of news at eNCA, said South African and African viewers would still get to see the same content locally, from midnight to 6am.

"But Sky viewers get that first, because we want to see if we can grow the appetite for not just South African news, but from the rest of the African content as well."

Source: allAfrica.