New South African 24-hour news channel provides full time coverage of a single trial.
Associated Press: A cable TV channel devoted to the Oscar Pistorius murder trial went on air in South Africa on Sunday night showing footage of the blonde model the world-famous athlete shot dead at his home a year ago. The video includes footage of her playing with dolphins.
The 24-hour channel began broadcasting just over 12 hours before Pistorius is expected in court for the start of his trial.
Dedicated completely to the trial, some of its early programming focused on the life of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, the model and reality TV star Pistorius killed on Valentine’s Day last year when he fired shots through a toilet door at his house. In one video taken by security camera, a smiling Steenkamp is seen arriving at the gated community where Pistorius lived just hours before she was killed. There was also video of her swimming with dolphins while shooting a reality TV show for South African television. At one point, two dolphins tap their snouts on her cheeks.
As Pistorius’ trial starts on Monday, live television pictures and a live audio feed will be broadcast from the courtroom at North Gauteng High Court in the South African capital, Pretoria, after permission was granted by a judge. Pistorius’ lawyers opposed the applications to broadcast the trial on television and radio.
The channel, called “The Oscar Pistorius Trial - A Carte Blanche channel” is on South Africa’s most popular cable TV network which is one of the three broadcasters which asked the judge to allow live coverage of the trial. Three remote-controlled cameras have been installed in the courtroom.
Wow. And I thought we had a “sensationalized trial of the month” problem. Nancy Grace must be green with envy right now.
Source: ctvnews.ca