Pistorius trial to have 'round-the-clock' coverage in 'dedicated' 24-hr TV channel in S.Africa

The murder trial of Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius will reportedly have a dedicated 24-hour television channel in South Africa, with round-the-clock coverage of the event.

Pistorius, who killed his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the pre-dawn hours of 14 February last year, faces life imprisonment with a minimum of 25 years before parole if convicted on the main charge of premeditated murder.

According to The Guardian, the country's top cable provider, MultiChoice said that the temporary 'pop-up' channel will launch on March 2, the day before the Pistorius goes on trial, although the female judge to preside over the trial has not yet ruled if TV cameras will be allowed to record images of court proceedings or carry it out live.

MultiChoice, which has only had temporary channels on its DSTV network for reality entertainment shows such as Idols and Big Brother, also said that the channel, called 'The Oscar Pistorius Trial: A Carte Blanche Channel', would give 'inside information on the most talked-about and controversial subject in recent South African history'.

Its head of content, Aletta Alberts, said there would also be 'a rich variety of content and social media integration' around the trial.

Pistorius also faces additional charges of possession of illegal ammunition and is likely to be indicted on the first day of his trial on two more charges for allegedly recklessly shooting guns in public, the report added.