JOHANNESBURG, August (ANA) - Multichoice on Tuesday announced new kid on the block Newzroom Afrika as the winning bidder for its vacant 24-hour news channel on its pay-TV bouquet DStv.
The announcement came after Multichoice last week pulled the plug on Afro Worldview - the television channel formerly owned by the controversial Gupta brothers under the name ANN7 - which until August 20 had been aired on DStv channel 405.
Multichoice chief executive Clavo Mawela said Newzsroom Afrika won the bid because it had put a "very credible" team of veteran broadcasters and that it met the black-economic empowerment objectives as it is 100-percent black-owned and 50-percent female owned.
Newzroom Afrika is a 50-50 owned broadcast venture by veteran broadcast journalist Thokozani Nkosi of Eclipse TV and former SABC news anchor Thabile Ngoato of Rapid Innovation.
The Newzroom Afrika editorial team is made up of veteran journalists including Joe Tlholoe as head of editorial ethics while accomplished TV news executive Zanele Mthembu will head broadcast operations and former eMedia executive Malemo Phage will be news editor.
Nkosi said even though the company was still working on its launch plan, it was planning to launch the channel early in 2019.
- African News Agency (ANA)
