e.tv (South Africa)

e.tv is South Africa's fifth terrestrial television channel, joining the three channels run by the state-owned South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC 1, SABC 2, and SABC 3) and the privately owned subscription service M-Net, managed by Multichoice. Notably, it is the first privately owned television station in the country that is free to air. The channel's news coverage occasionally critiques the SABC for its perceived close relationship with the ruling African National Congress. e.tv has even launched print and outdoor campaigns that suggest a bias in SABC's news reporting. Recently, it has partnered with other media organizations to file a lawsuit aiming to enable live audio and video broadcasts from trials involving government officials and other notable individuals. e.tv operates from both Cape Town and Johannesburg, with its main evening news broadcast airing at 7 PM from Johannesburg. This shift occurred in 2002 when a new broadcasting center was established in Hyde Park, Johannesburg, as the channel's early news broadcasts were seen as too focused on Cape Town, neglecting news from other areas. However, the late-night news at 10 PM continues to be broadcast from Cape Town, and the channel's Master Control still operates from its production center in Kloof Street, Cape Town. With its more liberal stance on adult content and its focus on being a free-to-air channel offering popular blockbuster movies, e.tv has managed to outperform SABC stations in viewership, particularly on weekends. In December 2013, StatSat TV (previously known as TopTV) announced the addition of e+ Movies, e+ Ekasi, and e+ Africa to its R99 package, although they later apologized for the delay, confirming that the channels would actually be available starting in January 2014.