ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru. [Photo/the-star.co.ke]
Vernacular digital television channels broadcasting in specific regions could benefit from signal distribution fee waiver in two years’ time.
This is in efforts by the government to boost the viewership of locally generated content.
Digital broadcasters have cited the high cost of content creation as a barrier to growth after the country shifted from analogue to digital transmission.
ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru has ruled out a blanket waiver in digital signal distribution fee noting that doing so will ground broadcast signal distributors.
Mucheru who was speaking at digital broadcasters’ association media forum said it is high time that the digital media work to increase their reach so that they can get advertisements.
“The government is only working with 20 media stations and yet we have over 70,” he said and challenged media houses to give in their portfolios and reach so that the government can be able to advertise with them.
The CS further called upon producers to come out and be creative in the content they produce saying this will boost them as they will get advertisers.
He explained that 95 percent of advertisements come from only 100 companies and yet there are more companies out there that would want to advertise.
The government, he said, is ready to facilitate media and production houses to expand content and promised to look into the cost of signal distribution that most of the digital broadcasters say are limiting their progress in the industry
He acknowledged that the government is revisiting on how it is spending on advertising based on the audience and reach.
“ We want media owners to engage us by telling us their reach and also inform us on their niche areas so that companies would know on which station to advertise,” said the CS.
Kenya Film Commission Board (KFCB) CEO Dr. Ezekiel Mutua said Kenyans have a role to play in contributing to digital transformation.