SABC2 joins earthTV network
SABC2 has signed a deal with Earth Television Network - part of the Telcast Media Group from Munich, Germany - to broadcast live earthTV programmes every day, plugging SABC into Earth Television Network's worldwide media community. This SABC2 deal is intended as a new departure for the genre to localise the format for South Africa.
From today, Monday, 1 September 2008, SABC2 will show earthTV's The World LIVE four times daily, with each 90-second short offering live glimpses of different places on Earth from earthTV's worldwide network of 80 cameras.
“As the Channel for the Nation we are very pleased to be able to offer our viewers a daily ‘slice of life' from across the country and the world. South Africans should also be proud that live images from South Africa will be beamed every day around the planet within the earthTV packages,” says Ed Worster, SABC2 programme manager.
Bespoke local version
SABC2 has also licensed a bespoke local version of the format called South Africa LIVE, which will follow the same format and frequency as The World LIVE. South Africa LIVE will feature feeds from new earthTV cameras installed in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Londolozi in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve. Further earthTV camera installations are planned for the near future.
The shows, often used by networks as lead-ins to news bulletins, offer a global snapshot of daily life, weather information and event details from all over the planet, including Antalya, Venice, Sydney, Manila, Munich, London, Paris and New York. earthTV has been secured by broadcasters and multimedia platforms around the world, including NHK in Japan, France 2, ProSiebenSat.1 Group in Germany, NDTV in India and CCTV in China.
Telcast president and CEO Thomas Hohenacker said that since earthTV content airs in primetime on major terrestrial channels in each market, "it is probably the most widely distributed TV content in the world and has a daily reach of over 2.2 billion people in 60 countries. We are delighted to be working with SABC2 in this way. Their enthusiasm is allowing us to develop a dynamic new template for earthTV and I am confident that this will be the first of many country and regional versions of earthTV in the future”.
The deal was brokered by earthTV's agent in the region, Richard Wood of African Eye Television Network.
Daily broadcast schedule
South Africa LIVE and The World LIVE's daily broadcast schedule for SABC2 follows below:
90 second live feeds:
06:55 (SA)
07:55 (SA)
11:58 (World)
12:58 (World)
13:58 (World)
14:55 (SA)
15:55 (SA)
22:58 (World)
60 second time lapse packages:
These timelapse clips race with the day from one camera - from SA or the World into a dazzling 60 second clip that showcases one location from sunrise to sunset.
17:28 (World)
21:59 (SA)
Traffic Clips:
Material shot by the SA cameras will be used by Morning Live in its traffic reports, giving viewers a chance to see the CBDs of Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban each morning.
