Journalists
Redi Direko and
Jeremy Maggs will be the anchors of e.tv’s 24-hour news channel, which will be launched as part of e.Sat's pay channel later this year.
Maggs, who has anchored AM Live on SAfm for 10 years, will leave the radio station in March to take up his new position.
According to e.news editor-in-chief
Debora Patta, the appointments are the first of many to come.
"I am delighted that journalists of the calibre of Redi and Jeremy are joining our team," she said. "They will be part of a large team of broadcast journalists delivering an independent and reliable news service 24 hours a day.
"It’s an exciting time to be a broadcast journalist in South Africa and e.news as always will be developing fresh and dynamic talent."
Last year e.tv announced that it will initiate its multi-channel strategy in 2008 with the launch of South Africa’s first independent 24-hour television news service on Multichoice’s DStv platform.
Presenters
Soweto born Redi Direko is an experienced television and radio journalist who studied journalism and philosophy at RAU (now the University of Johannesburg).
She has hosted a wide variety of news programmes for the SABC, and is the host of the daytime legal rights talk show Rights & Recourse, which airs on SABC3.
She was one of the main anchors for the 2004 general election and inauguration coverage, and also presented SABC3's premiere current affairs show, News Hour, which was replaced with Interface.
Direko will continue to be a presenter on Talk Radio 702.
TVSA Profile
Jeremy Maggs is one of South Africa’s most experienced television, radio and print journalists. He has previously held the positions of news editor at Talk Radio 702, hosted AM Live on SAfm and presented AM 2 Day.
Although he has an established and successful radio career, most South Africans know Maggs as the host of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? - he is still subjected to jokes about whether something is his final answer or if he wants to phone a friend.
He also hosted SABC3's weekly media and advertising show, Media Focus.
TVSA Profile