City Parks, in partnership with Township TV and other sponsors, is bringing free television entertainment to poorer communities across Joburg. With two up-and-running already, in all seven Township TV sites are planned over the next three years.

Outdoor TV has brought joy and happiness to the lives of children in Eldorado Park

PARKS are not only the green lungs of Johannesburg, but are set to become popular outdoor television viewing venues for thousands of poorer residents living in the city.

Johannesburg City Parks has been working closely with Township TV, a private social responsibility venture driving the concept, to bring sports events closer to poorer communities.

Safe entertainment
Teaming up with partners DSTV, which is sponsoring the programming, and Ellies, which is sponsoring the satellite dishes and decoders, Township TV now brings popular sporting events to Diepsloot and Eldorado Park over the weekends. During the week the focus shifts to children, with educational fare on offer. The LED screens are specifically made for daylight viewing and the parks have 24-hour security.

According to Township TV director Graeme Joffe, the project hopes to grow South Africa's sporting talents and keep youngsters from turning to crime. "We want to create new sporting icons for South Africa. We need more Makaya Ntinis and Bryan Habanas."

Countrywide
Diepsloot and Eldorado Park are the first two communities to benefit from the R50-million project, which will eventually be rolled out across South Africa. Johannesburg will have seven parks offering this facility.

One of the LED screens specifically designed for daylight viewing

Ultimately, Township TV aims to provide free entertainment in a safe and secure environment to disadvantaged communities across the country, Joffe says. "I am hoping this will become the biggest social responsibility project in South Africa and would ideally like to have 20 Township TVs throughout the country."

The next to benefit from the programme is Diepkloof, in Soweto. It will get its screen as part of the 24-hour extreme park make-over planned by City Parks for 8 and 9 May. Besides the television screen, the park will also get an amphitheatre, a soccer field, multi-purpose court, water feature, splash pool, braai area and two playgrounds.

In late May or June, Rose Park, an existing park in Lenasia, will get its screen.

Recreation and education
Joffe admits that Township TV is one of the most exciting projects in which he has ever been involved. He hopes to take the project to other metro areas next and is currently talking to Tshwane, Cape Town and eThekwini.

The original concept was thought up by Cherie Eilertson of Platinum Planet Real Estate Group, a friend of Joffe's who wanted to take football back to the people. But Joffe saw the potential for Township TV to be more than just a recreational tool.

While running with the initial idea, he soon realised that it could also be a fantastic educational outlet, a job creator and assist in reducing crime by keeping youngsters off the streets. "We want to work closely with schools and will put up schedules in schools, churches and so on."

And as time goes on, Township TV hopes to introduce other viewing fare, screening special concerts, sports clinics and Aids programmes, among others.

Drawing the crowds
Weather permitting, missing out on important sporting events will be a thing of the past for many disadvantaged communities.

The first screen was launched in Region A's biggest informal settlement, Diepsloot, in December 2007. In March, Township TV launched the second open-air big screen television at Kremetart Street Park in Eldorado Park.

Judging from the community's response so far, this form of public entertainment is set to take off across the country and will be a sure winner, come 2010.

"The communities have taken ownership of the screens and the numbers keep growing every day. During the African Cup of Nations we had some attendances of close to 5 000 people at the Diepsloot Park."

And jobs too
And more jobs are also on the cards for community members. Township TV will be looking at having park managers, assistants and more security opportunities in the long run. The Gogo Project is another initiative still in the pipeline; it will grant special licences to women of 60 years and older to trade as hawkers at the Township TV sites.

Joffe is positive that these and other projects will see the light in the very near future. "We just need to walk before we can run."

Township TV screening takes place from 2pm to 6pm, from Monday to Sunday. Educational and recreational programmes take preference during week days, catering mostly for children. On weekends, sporting events take over, with preference given to football. Township TV gets special permission from City Parks to screen important sporting events that take place outside the agreed time slots.

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• Parks safety unit launched
• Extreme park open for play