SAfm’s hourly news bulletins will be available as podcasts on the increasingly popular iono.fm from today, expanding the range of SAfm and RSG programming already available on this podcasting service.
This new service becomes available on www.iono.fm/go/sabcnews just as the SABC’s NewsBreak 082 152 phone news service comes to an end. NewsBreak and other listeners will now able to subscribe to news bulletins online or on their mobile phones or tablets.
The acting head of SABC News, Jimi Matthews, says the SABC is embracing new technology as a way to adapt to changing technology and news consumption patterns. “As the era of IVR news services comes to an end, the SABC is proud to introduce other services expanding its multi-platform content offering. The SABC has a wealth of news products available on its traditional platforms and offering podcasts on iono.fm is one of many ways to reach new listeners,” he says.
The SAfm news bulletins can be accessed on any device with internet access, from old mobile handsets using GPRS to smartphones and computers with broadband. Listeners will be able to catch their bulletins whenever they want to, and for free.
NewsBreak was launched in 1999 as a joint venture between SABC, Vodacom and the IVR service provider Marketel and soon became the class leader in South Africa for news-on-demand services. The NewsBreak service had to be terminated because Vodacom announced that from 1 August it will no longer offer universal access to standard IVR services using short numbers like NewsBreak 082 152.
The SABC says its existing online news offering has proved tremendously popular. The SABC News YouTube channel already features highlights from daily TV news bulletins. Since its inception 14 months ago, the channel has attracted nearly four million views from around the globe, with over 40% of traffic from mobile devices.
“We believe the SABC News bulletins on iono.fm will prove equally popular and we will continue to expand the service to soon also offer highlights of daily radio current affairs programmes. The demand for SABC News content transcends borders – the SABC can now provide audio content to a global audience and satisfy that demand,” says Matthews.
SABC News also provides ongoing online news coverage on www.sabc.co.za/news, with news updates on FaceBook and Twitter @sabcnewsonline – or follow #SABCNews for live updates from breaking stories.
