Media houses risk licences over standoff
What you need to know:
- “We will send a second reminder this week and then we will take action, which might mean revoking their broadcast licences because as free-to-air broadcasters, they are not supposed to be off-air for such a long time without informing us why,” said Mr Wangusi.
- NTV, QTV, KTN and Citizen TV, have been off air since February 14 after the authority switched off analogue signals to comply with the country’s digital migration deadline.
Three media houses risk losing their television broadcasting licences if they do not resume transmission on the digital platform, the regulator has warned.
Communications Authority of Kenya Director-General Francis Wangusi said that he had sent Nation Media Group, Standard Group and Royal Media Services a written directive to start broadcasting on the digital platform, which they had allegedly ignored.
“We will send a second reminder this week and then we will take action, which might mean revoking their broadcast licences because as free-to-air broadcasters, they are not supposed to be off-air for such a long time without informing us why,” said Mr Wangusi.
NTV, QTV, KTN and Citizen TV, have been off air since February 14 after the authority switched off analogue signals to comply with the country’s digital migration deadline.
To that effect, the CA switched off the analogue signal after which it says the three took themselves off the digital platform.
They have since been off-air to prevail upon the government to give them a Broadcast Signal Distribution Licence that will allow them to transmit their own content and to import set-top boxes.
