By Siji Oyewusi
The global news channel, set up to cover news with a bias for African stories, Arise News, has landed on DStv channel 416 and GOtv channel 44 respectively.
Arise’s debut comes on the heels of the launch of a series of remarkable Nigerian channels including Ebony Life, Hip TV, Spice and PRTV (which was yanked off the platform in July 2014).
It’s the first time a Nigerian newspaper is launching successfully on TV. There have been prospects for The Punch and The Guardian to kick off broadcast businesses for many years, but those projects have yet to see the light of day.
According to the Chairman and Editor-In-Chief, Nduka Obaigbena, ‘the channel has launched in over 80 countries and territories including the United Kingdom, West, East and Central Europe, Middle East, North Africa and the United States telling the stories and experiences of undeserved communities especially of the African continent while covering issues of the day and world events that matter.’
However, many will expect Arise News which is scheduled to start airing tomorrow January 27, 2015 to likely do for Africa what Al Jazeera is doing for the Middle East. Most Nigerians believe news platforms like CNN and Sky News are stained by sustained negative coverage of the continent.
Arise News finds home on DSTV Africa
