The trial of Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee Olympian charged with murder, will have a dedicated 24-hour television channel in South Africa, the country's top cable provider has said, promising "round-the-clock" coverage of one of the blockbuster stories of the year.

MultiChoice said the temporary "pop-up" channel will launch on 2 March, the day before the Pistorius goes on trial in a high court inPretoria, for killing his girlfriend in his home on Valentine's Day last year.

It is the first time it has launched a channel of this kind to cover a major news event, MultiChoice said. The provider has only had temporary channels on its DSTV network for reality entertainment shows such as Idols and Big Brother. DSTV is also available in other African countries.

The female judge who will preside over the trial has not yet ruled if television cameras will be allowed to record images of court proceedings or if the trial at North Gauteng high court can be carried live.

Even so, MultiChoice will tap into the world's fascination with Pistorius's remarkable story, which has taken a dramatic turn after he was celebrated as a sporting hero in 2012 as the first double amputee to compete on the track at the Olympics.

MultiChoice said the 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 killed Reeva Steenkamp, 29, by shooting the model through a toilet cubicle door in the pre-dawn hours of 14 February. Pistorius said he had mistaken Steenkamp for a dangerous intruder and fired four shots in self-defence, but prosecutors allege the couple argued and Pistorius killed her intentionally.

The world-famous runner faces life imprisonment with a minimum of 25 years before parole if convicted on the main charge of premeditated murder. South Africa does not have the death penalty.

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.

Television coverage was restricted for Pistorius's previous court appearances. Cameras were allowed to record in court only before proceedings began and after they ended. Courtrooms during the week-long hearing and subsequent appearances were packed out by reporters, photographers and television camera operators.

Permission to film or take photographs in court in South Africa can be given only by the presiding judge. Judge Thokozile Masipa will preside over Pistorius's trial and pronounce him innocent or guilty of murder. The country does not have trial by jury.

The TV channel, called The Oscar Pistorius Trial: A Carte Blanche Channel,, will be put together by the producers of a weekly investigative journalism show in South Africa called Carte Blanche, which also airs on MultiChoice's DSTV.