Supreme Court extends digital migration date

The Supreme Court has yet again extended the digital migration switch off date, following an application by the Nation Media Group (NMG), Royal Media Services (RMS) and Standard Group (SG).

A two-judge Bench comprising Chief Justice Willy Mutunga and Justice Mohammed Ibrahim yesterday ordered the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) to let the three media houses carry their content on the analogue platform until their application to extend the switch off date is heard.

The media houses had filed the application last Friday in which they asked the court to put off the digital migration deadline for another four months to allow them time to procure equipment for the switch-over.

READ: Confusion over court decision on digital migration

“The switch-off date shall be extended until further directions of the court,” the judges ruled.

The Communications Authority had accused the three media houses of enjoying an unfair advantage over other industry players by having a presence on both digital and analogue platforms.

“CA does not switch off. It gives notice to media houses who switch off the analogue platform. As we speak, only RMS, NMG and SG are on both digital and analogue platforms,” the regulator said. The media houses, however said CA had only furnished them with one of the four promised frequencies, which are needed to complete the procurement of transmitters for the digital signal.

“The frequency must be given to the manufacturer so that it is built into the transmitter. To tell us to switch off is to shut our business,” they argued.

CA had set December 31 as the switch off date for Nairobi and its environs and had given the media houses a licence to carry their own content alongside one frequency.

Only Signet, a subsidiary of State broadcaster KBC, and Chinese firm Pan African Group have procured all required licences for the migration.