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UPDATE: Newzroom Afrika launches, hopes to be 'a strong alternative' in the local TV news sphere
Cape Town – There will be no press briefing or media launch event for the new TV news channel Newzroom Afrika (DStv 405) before it launches on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service on 2 May at 17:30.
It's highly unusual and doesn't follow established industry best practice in terms of basic media engagement and public relations. Despite multiple requests for interviews with Newzroom Afrika executives, Channel24 has been told that Newzroom Afrika executives are "too busy" to talk about the new South African TV news venture.
Finer details as well as TV broadcasting basics around the channel are not available anywhere and haven't been communicated or released by Newzroom Afrika or MultiChoice.
No basic and complete press pack exists for Newzroom Afrika, which didn't release any channel schedule, channel line-up or programming synopsis. The channel, despite being asked several times, failed to share a set of complete publicity images and info pack about who the anchors, presenters and reporters are and how they look, for general use in the media. Newzroom Afrika gave no explanation for the 2 May launch date decision that comes right after a midweek public holiday.
Newzroom Afrika has been set up by Thabile Ngwato's Rapid Innovation and Thokozani Nkosi's Eclipse TV. The channel will compete against rivals like eNCA (DStv 403) and SABC News (DStv 404) in a highly-contested TV space for eyeballs and advertising rands.
While local TV channels usually have a press briefing where journalists can ask questions, or a media launch event – or both – there will be no press conference or media launch event for the press organised by Newzroom Afrika. These are usually organised jointly between a new channel, in this case, Newzroom Afrika and MultiChoice as the platform carrying it, with joint banners and showing both logos and MultiChoice contributing towards the budget of an event.
NO INFO AVAILABLE
Newzroom Afrika failed to capitalise on the interest that there has been from other media in the lead-up to its launch who wanted to provide coverage about it. Nothing is known about the Newzroom Afrika's studio or its setup in Linden, Johannesburg, with no images available.
Nothing was shared by Newzroom Afrika about its hired reporter pool, where they're stationed and what the channel will try to cover, its investments in equipment, technology and broadcasting playout, or even its content blocks, who it will do news for, its editorial policy and news vision, or even where its name and stylized adaptation comes from.
Newzroom Afrika was asked if it would be doing a press briefing. Newzroom Afrika said "there is no press briefing planned". It means that the only time Newzroom Afrika spoke or appeared before the media at a press conference was the one in August 2018 when it was announced as the successful bidder 8 months ago.
Newzroom Afrika was asked if there would be a media launch event. Newzroom Afrika said "there is no launch event planned before the channel goes live".
TV channels in South Africa usually invite media to a media launch event usually set a week before, on the day or a few days before launch to issue press material either as a physical press pack, on USB or through email, and then address journalists and editors and use such an event to make contact with the media, TV critics, publications and the journalists that will be covering it.
While the media has no direct access to Newzroom Afrika, the channel through the Cape Town PR company Corporate Image was asked how viewers or potential viewers as its audience should or can contact NewzroomAfrika if they want to. "Our newsroom will be contactable through our social media platforms and by email from launch," the channel said.
