Oscar Pistorius murder trial to get own 24-hour TV channel

Johannesburg: A South African network said yesterday that it is poised to launch a 24-hour channel dedicated to the upcoming murder trial of Paralympian Oscar Pistorius. ‘The Oscar Pistorius Trial: A Carte Blanche Channel' will launch on March 2, the day before the star athlete goes on trial over the February 2013 murder of his model girlfriend, the MultiChoice satellite network said in a statement.

TV star: The channel promises to provide round-the-clock coverage of the legal proceedings, as well as exclusive documentaries, profiles and in-depth expert analysis in the Oscar Pistorius trial. File pic

The channel "will feature round-the-clock coverage of the legal proceedings, as well as exclusive documentaries, profiles and in-depth expert analysis" to South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, it said. The trial judge has yet to decide whether to allow live broadcast of the case. MultiChoice spokeswoman Michelle Esau said the channel hoped to be able to broadcast the proceedings, but assured that there would be enough content regardless.

"This pop-up channel will give our viewers in-depth coverage of the Oscar Pistorius trial, with a rich variety of content and social media integration," said MultiChoice head of content Aletta Alberts.

Pistorius (27), whose legs were amputated below the knee when he was a young boy, is known world-wide as the Blade Runner for competing on two fibre-optic blades and running against able-bodied athletes in the London 2012 Olympic Games.

He shot dead girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp (29), on February 14 last year through a locked bathroom door at his upmarket Pretoria home. Pistorius said he mistook Steenkamp for a dangerous intruder and fired four shots in self-defence, but prosecutors allege the couple argued and Pistorius killed her intentionally and in a rage.