The 3 Kenyan media stations NTV, Citizen and KTN have been ordered to migrate their signals to the digital platform by midnight tonight. The move has buffled the three media houses which have blatantly sabotaged digital migration and made it impossible for Kenya’s telecommunication sector to grow.
The Supreme Court ruling means that Communication Authority has the permission to switch off all analogue signals in Nairobi and its environs by tonight and follow through with the previous migration plan as follows
2nd February 2015: Switch off of analogue TV transmitters in Mombasa, Malindi, Nyeri, Meru, Kisumu, Webuye, Kakamega, Kisii, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyahururu (Nyadundo), Machakos, Narok and Loldiani (Rongai)
30th March 2015: Switch off of analogue TV transmitters in Garissa, Kitui, Lodwar, Lokichogio, Kapenguria, Kabarnet, Migori, Voi (Vuria), Mbwinzau/Kibwezi, Namanga and any other remaining sites
NTV, KTN and Citizen TV have launched a barrage of attack on the government and even refused to run adverts promoting the digital migration. The media owners first asked that the migration deadline be pushed to 30th April but they later changed that and demanded that the date be moved to December 2015.
The foreigners taking over propaganda against PANG has been dismissed by the Supreme Court while the same court has also insisted that the must carry rule stands. The only thing the stations have gained is a self provisioning license. Their move to have own platform might not work as they will be late in the game and might import decoders which nobody would buy.
The three media stations have opposed the migration because digital platform gives small operators an equal platform meaning that Citizen, KTN and NTV might never dominate Kenya’s living rooms again with poorly produced programmes while many great productions exists on GOtv, Startimes, Bamba TV, Azam TV and Zuku platforms which they will be competing against.
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