Four media houses (Citizen, NTV, KTN & QTV) in Kenya will be resuming broadcast today, March 5, after weeks of inactivity due to an action by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA).
The absence of the media houses from the air –for more than two weeks- may be related with this Facebook post by one of the media houses –NTV. Another reason could also be that fact that the stations may have switched off their digital signals in protest against the communication authority’s decision to switch off the station’s analogue signals. Including an opposition, by the media houses, to pay TV service providers carrying their content without consent, according to this report.
We are back on air Thursday 5th March at 6.50 pm. Pls buy a universal set top box from your nearest dealer to receive us. @ntvkenya
— Mijungu (@KenMijungu) March 3, 2015
Further investigation by TechCabal revealed that the communication authority may have been acting in line with a ruling carried out by the Supreme Court on July 13 2015, which stated a phased switchover, from analogue TV transmitters to digital ones –in different areas of Kenya.
NTV, QTV set to resume broadcast this Thursday at 6.50PM #BackOnAir pic.twitter.com/xd1D23iNfO
— NTV Kenya (@ntvkenya) March 3, 2015
However, to break this imbroglio, the media houses and the government seemed to have reached a deal that may have paved way for their return, succinctly put by CIO in this report: “The deal with the Government will allow the four TV stations to broadcast their content through the self-provisioning digital platform to owners of free-to–air set top boxes in Nairobi and its environs, ending a three-week switch-off.” Hence, viewers have been enjoined –apparently- to get set top boxes (to enable them receive signals from the broadcasting stations) –while those who already have may be in luck.
The media houses, which are resuming broadcasts today (March 5) by 5.30pm, are owned by Nation Media Group, Standard Group and the Royal Media Services.
