e.tv has expanded its news offering with the addition of a third news bulletin at 18:30 daily. The main news bulletins respectively remain at the 13:00 and 20:00 weekdays, and 19:00 on weekends.
"We aim to broaden access to breaking news and accurate information to the broadest possible audience," says Marlon Davids, e.tv managing director.
"We want to fight the spread of fake news by giving our viewers the facts and enabling them to make informed choices at a time when the entire world is concerned about the spread of the disease," adds Davids.
24-hour news channel
eNCA continues to focus on delivering the latest breaking news and comprehensive coverage about COVID-19, through dedicated in-studio anchors and panellists as well as highly skilled on-the-ground news teams.
Dedicated reporters are stationed around the country, bringing viewers up to date with ongoing developments. Edgy graphics and the latest statistics displayed on the biggest video wall in Africa will give viewers consistent in-depth analysis.
Together with the department of health and the World Health Organisation,
eNCA aims to keep the public at large in the know.
eNCA newsroom operations manager Jody Jacobs says, "As a media organisation, we are committed to keeping our audience abreast of COVID-19 developments and fully educated about the virus."
The national lockdown has also presented a challenge to the education system, because of this, Free-to-air satellite TV platform Openview has provided an alternative means of education for millions of scholars.
Openview has launched a new channel that focuses on supporting learners and teachers who have to stay home during the lockdown.
DBE TV, in partnership with the department of education, will air on channel 122; it is available free of any subscriptions and is broadcasting for six months from April 2020 to the end of September 2020.
The Mindset channel, which also focuses on the South African curriculum, can be found on channel 134. eMedia Investments continues to be a significant media player in South Africa, with influential independent broadcasters that reach millions of people daily.
The unexpected rise of COVID-19 has presented a substantial need for citizens across the country to stay in-doors and assist with flattening the curve of the virus; as a result, staying in has put a spotlight on the need for conventional entertainment in the form of television viewing.
e.tv, eMedia Investments and South Africa's first and only free-to-air commercial TV station, continues to garner a significant share of the free-to-air audience.
The South African lockdown period brings a large number of South Africans the opportunity to not only reflect on the state of our current affairs but time to engage with a variety of the channels’ television content.
The success of e.tv has also spawned a number of spin-off entertainment channels that sit on the DStv and Openview platforms. eSat.tv operates the 24-hour news channel
eNCA, which is available on DStv channel 403 and fast becoming the country's preferred news consumption portal.
Leading locally produced soapies and dramas broadcasting through-out the national lockdown can be found daily on e.tv. The drama
Rhythm City centers on the lives of Joburg's most street-savvy individuals and airs weekly at 19:00.
It is followed by the
Scandal! at 19:30. Soapie land draws to a close at 21:00 with the Zulu drama
IMBEWU.
The Openview platform also caters to additional markets in the form of multi-channel offerings for the entire family, including:
- eMovies
- eMovies Extra
- eExtra
- eReality
- eToonz
- eRewind
- eNews, and
- Sport
The feature daily between 16:00 and 19:30.
For more information, visit
www.enca.com. You can also follow
eNCA on
Facebook,
Twitter or on
Instagram.
According to an article by media update, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses everywhere are struggling. The media industry, too, has been affected by this global crisis. What does COVID-19 mean for the media?