TV viewers to get local programmes back on air

TV viewers will have their favourite programmes back on air on Thursday after the media owners struck a deal with the government to resume operations.

The deal allows the four leading 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.

The four stations, NTV, QTV (both owned by Nation Media Group), KTN (Standard Media Group) and Royal Media’s Citizen, have meanwhile written to industry regulator, the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) asking that pay- TV service providers such as GoTv, StarTimes and Zuku seek authorisation from them to carry their content.

This means pay- TV subscribers whose carriers will sign agreements with the three media houses will also access local content through the channels.

The four stations want the pay- TV operators to commit to paying for the content or commit not to switch off subscribers who default on the monthly payments.

The stations will be offering their digital signals through their consortium, Africa Digital Networks – the owner of the self-provisioning license.

The settlement is a win for television viewers with free-to-air set top boxes who will have a variety of content to choose from.

The TV stations switched off their digital signals in protest against the CA’s decision to turn off their analogue signals. They were also opposed to pay- TV service providers carrying their content without consent.

With pay TV subscriptions, viewers are subjected to a monthly charge of between Sh449 to Sh8,200.