The saying "Local is Lekker’ indeed rings true. Lowvelders have been very fortunate in this regard as far as news is concerned. They can choose from a variety of media platforms to stay up to date with news happenings in their area, be it the more conservative - and according to some - fast-dwindling print media or the more convenient and increasingly popular online version.

There is, however, one medium that many people still prefer to both print and online - television. Since the first programme that was broadcast in South Africa by the then SAUK many years ago, television has steadily increased in popularity.

"The impact of television has repeatedly been proven to be one of the strongest in media," said owner and editor of SuburbNews, Etienne Mare.

SuburbNews is a news channel that is currently setting the benchmark in pioneering in order to provide fresh, local news to their viewers on a daily basis.

The content is determined by the news of the day - or weekend - whether it is school sport, wildlife and environmental stories, interesting personalities, social activities or national news happening in the area.

This 30-minute programme is broadcast on Channel 260 on weekdays at 7:00 and again at 19:00. It is aimed at the 6 to 10 LSM (Living Standards Measure) audiences residing in Mbombela, Malalane, Barberton, Komatipoort, Lydenburg, Hazyview and Waterval Boven.

“By covering community news and events, SuburbNews generates interest wherever we go. The Lowveld has truly opened its doors to this local television station and on-location recordings are often met by the question: “When will it be broadcast?”, thereby setting an appointment with the viewer,” said Mare.

Audience numbers are not as easy to determine as is the case with online media, as a decoder can’t communicate these statistics back to the satellite, but, based on the Facebook views, SuburbNews get from a few thousand to more than 30 000 views per news story.

Not only does this prove that the programme is reaching a large segment of the local audience, but the constant positive feedback from advertisers, as well as the community, is proof enough that SuburbNews is in a league of its own.

If you are one of the few who have not yet tuned in, make sure you do so soon because nothing says "local is lekker" better than a home-grown television news channel.

Channel 260 is based in the Eastern Cape and broadcasts on all the DSTV bouquets, including R39/month packages, covering the whole of South Africa.

For more information, email Etienne Mare or contact him on 082-454-3678.

Written by: Anchen Coetzee for Ama'Zone Media Solutions t/a Africa InTouch
Sub Editor: Letter Linguist