The time has come for the Kenyan media space to be free from the control of three media houses with extremely pathetic content and platforms. Kenyans must move with speed and adopt the digital TV platform because that is the only way the youth and young at heart will innovate and move ahead in the tech sector with better TV content and improved mobile internet speeds from 4G and eventually 5G networks.
Broadcasters Crying Foul Over Signet Digital Deal
You might want to read the pain and anguish which Citizen TV, KTN and NTV have caused Kenyans through the various articles written. The analogue platform which the 3 TV stations fight so hard to maintain guarantee them control of the airwaves. There is no other reason. It is market dominance which they want to maintain.
Tanzanian Govt Launches TV Ads Campaign to Educate on Digital Migration
In fact the objectivity which was previously on KTN is gone and NTV stopped being objective when the second Kikuyu president, Mwai Kibaki, was inaugurated. Nation Media Group has always fought for the interests of the Kikuyu minority shareholders and not the greater interests of other Kenyans.
Breaking up media monopolies GOOD for Kenya. Giving Monopoly to some Chinese guy BAD for Kenya. But where does Agha Khan come from? Muranga?
— Mutahi Ngunyi (@MutahiNgunyi) February 15, 2015
Standard Group also changed tune when the Kenyatta family acquired a good chunk of the group’s equity which were formerly held by Joshua Kulei. Citizen TV is extremely a rightwing Kikuyu station with blind ethnic chauvinism and not much in objective journalism. That makes the three TV stations the least objective currently.
Caroline Mutoko tells NTV, Citizen and KTN to embrace Digital Migration
KBC has always been a pro government station as it is funded by tax-payers and the incumbent always have much control on its content. That leaves only K24TV as the other station to deliver news. It is owned by the Kenyatta family who acquired the Regional Reach stake from Rose Kimotho to form Mediamax group after the acquisition of The People daily from the Matiba family.
Kenyan Government Insists on the December Analogue Switch-Off Date
Being owned by the first family means that K24 doesn’t have to fight much to get government support in getting advertising revenue. This has ensured a degree of objectivity which was previously seen on KTN but was killed by Sam Shollei who took over from Paul Melly.
The CEO of Mediamax group is Nation Media’s former boss, Ian Fernades while the Broadcasting manager is former Citizen TV boss, Peter Opondo. Most of the journalists at K24 were formerly at the NTV, KTN and Citizen TV so there is nothing unique which you will get from the 3 stations.