Media Houses In South Africa Jostle For Broadcast Rights To Air Trial Of Oscar Pistorius As Lawyers Object To Live Broadcast

Several major media houses will on Wednesday apply in the Pretoria High Court for the Oscar Pistorius criminal trial to be broadcast live.

A year ago, the double amputee, who is known as the blade runner shot, Reeva Steenkamp, through his toilet door at his luxury Pretoria home and then claimed he mistook her for an intruder.

The Oscar Pistorius Trial Channel, which was set up specifically for the event by Multichoice, and Eyewitness News will seek audio of the full trial to be broadcast.

The evidence of the experts, police witnesses, and any other witnesses will be televised.

The National Prosecuting Authority has not opposed the application.

The media houses will argue that the constitutional principle of open justice should extend to broadcasting the trial in the manner agreed to with the NPA.

The argument is that this will not affect fair trial rights, and will best protect freedom of expression and the public's right to obtain accurate information about the trial as it unfolds.

"My team and I have been engaging with both sides since the middle of last year and gradually came to an understanding with the NPA,'' said George Mazarakis, Executive Editor of The Oscar Pistorius Trial.

"We are proposing un-manned, remote controlled High Definition cameras in court. Should we succeed in this, we will make a pool feed available to all broadcasters.''

According to the Justice Department, around 300 journalists are expected to cover the case which gets underway on March 3.

At least 107 witnesses are expected to testify during the trial.


In a related development, Oscar Pistorius' defence lawyers are strongly opposing applications by South African television stations to broadcast live the double-amputee Olympian's entire murder trial. Prosecutors say they have no problem with certain parts of the blockbuster court case being filmed.


At least two TV stations have applied for permission to show live coverage of Pistorius' trial next month. Their applications are being considered by a judge, who will have the final say over whether one of the highest-profile legal battles in recent history is aired live on TV and watched minute-by-minute by millions across the world. If the judge grants permission for the trial, or parts of the trial, to be broadcast live, it would open the way for international TV stations to show the pictures being sent by the South African stations in a sharing agreement.


Pistorius attorney Kenneth Oldwadge told the Associated Press on Tuesday that the defence was arguing against the TV applications, which he said sought permission from the judge to broadcast the entire trial live.


"We are certainly opposing it," Mr Oldwadge said.


The prosecution did not object to live TV coverage of the opening arguments and rulings by the judge, National Prosecuting Authority senior spokesman Nathi Mncube told the AP. Mr Mncube said the NPA also had no objection to broadcasting the sentencing, should Pistorius be convicted.


However, Mr Mncube said the NPA was opposed to any witness testimony being televised.

Source: Associated Press