This comes from the channel DStv is planning on launching to cover the Oscar trial. As always, analysis follows the press release: 26 FEBRUARY 2014
On 3 March the world’s media will descend on Pretoria to cover the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius. However, only one media platform will provide 24-hour coverage of the trial’s progress, with in-depth analysis and informed commentary from key personalities.
The Oscar Pistorius Trial - A Carte Blanche Channel on DStv Channel 199, will feature interviews with a large variety of expert guests from around the world throughout the course of the daytime and evening programming. These guests will offer insight and commentary on what happened in court. Experts will include senior legal minds, psychologists, forensic experts, social commentators, brand gurus, social media analysts, news and media heavyweights.
“The channel has secured exclusive access to acclaimed international experts, who will feature as regular guests. These include criminal defence attorney, Robert Shapiro, famous for his defence of OJ Simpson, American forensic experts and police consultants to hit TV shows likeDexter, who provide fascinating insights,” said George Mazarakis, Executive Editor of the channel.
The editorial team responsible for the channel’s conception and content are the very same journalists who have brought the world 25 years of credible, award-winning investigative reporting on news magazine show, Carte Blanche. The presenters are veteran news journalists Derek Watts, John Webb, Bongani Bingwa and Devi Sankaree Govender, top social media lawyer Emma Sadleir, experienced radio talk show host Leigh Bennie, heavyweight legal journalist and radio talk show host, David O’Sullivan and ex BBC presenter, Subniv Babuta.
In a landmark judgment today, Gauteng Judge President Dunstan Mlambo found in favour of MultiChoice’s application to broadcast audio of the full trial and to televise parts of the trial, including opening arguments, state expert witnesses’ testimony, police officers, any other state witnesses (unless they object), closing arguments, judgement and sentencing. “We are thrilled that the SA judiciary has matured to this ground breaking decision. It is a seminal moment and will make South African television and legal history as visual access of this nature has never before been granted in a South African court,” said Mazarakis.
The channel will be hosted from a studio in Johannesburg, with regular live crossings to a team of top journalists who will be based at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. This team, led by field anchor John Webb, will provide live commentary via on-camera crossings and social media as events unfold in court.
Top local and international journalists will also join in-studio and field anchors to offer insight and analysis. This partnership between news channels and platforms is also a first of its kind.
The Oscar Pistorius Trial - A Carte Blanche Channel will feature daily analysis on the global audience’s reaction to the case on social media, with a live Twitter feed displayed on screen and engaging public polls run on social media.
The channel will also have daytime and night time programming, which will run from 7:00 to 22:00 daily, with content repeated from 22:00 until 7:00 the following morning when the channel goes live again from the North Gauteng High Court and the channel’s Johannesburg studio.
Pistorius’ criminal trial is scheduled to run in the North Gauteng High Court from 3 March to 20 March.
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ANALYSIS:
-DStv is really going all out with the trial. They are really investing what I am sure is millions into this trial, in the form of talent, on screen and off, which comprises of Carte Blanche personalities, Eye Witness News reporters (which I am sure did not come a t a cheap cost) and international 'starts' that are being brought in to cover the trial of a century. Howver, one has to wonder on the type of return they plan on seeing. As they say in business, there is no such thing as a free lunch. So, with this in mind, one has to wonder what DStv expects in return for their investment. I mean, yes, many people are likely to tune in to the channel, which could be a good source of ad revenue. But DStv is not in the business of Ad revenue. They need sunbscribers and though this may generate a lot of interest, I do not see any potential subscribers signing up to DStv to see the trial or the channel. I cannot even imagine many people on smaller packages upgrading to at least the Compact bouquet so that they can gain access to the channel.
- The partnership between Eye Witness News and Carte Blanche is equally as promising as it is interesting. Promising as in the fact that this can lead to many more great projects coming out of this partnership in the future (should it succeed). Before the launch of ANN7 and SABC News, I always thought the first competitors eNCA would have would be either a channel from Carte Blanche or EWN.
Interesting in exactly what each party gets out of the deal. Before this announcement, I wondered as to how Carte Blanche planned on running a full channel based on only the staff of a one hour show. Now we know that they will have EWN reporters as well to fill the schedule. But what does EWN get out of the deal? Free advertising? Carte Blanche talent, who are rather quite popular, going on radio? This talent sharing deal could actually in the end be bad if talents are forced to pull double duty for both radio on EWN and tv for this channel.
-Does the country come to a stand still for this trial? What I mean with this is is there really not going to be any other news for Carte Blanche, who usually does a multi-story show, to cover during the trial as it seems the award winning weekly show will be exclusively focus on the trial for the next few weeks and not other issues in the country like, say, the elections.
-The studio being built for this channel is rather nice I might say. (See below)
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