Broadcasters to air 40pc local content as new code takes effect

Communications Authority of Kenya (CIA) Director General Francis Wangusi addressing a press conference on the regulation of dominant licensees in the ICT Sector. PHOTO: ANDREW KILONZI

Radio and television broadcasters will from today be required to air 40 per cent local content and observe restrictions on adult content.

In the far-reaching regulations, no broadcaster will be allowed to air adult-only programmes between 5am and 10pm.

The stations will also be required to submit their weekly programming log to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) for scrutiny.

The new regulations released by CA Director-General Francis Wangusi yesterday require broadcasters to submit recorded events to the authority immediately after airing live functions.

Speaking at the CA offices, Mr Wangusi said non-compliance would first attract warnings, followed by a fine of Sh500,000 or 0.2 per cent of the broadcaster’s turnover, whichever was higher.

The regulations come into effect after the lapse of a six-month grace period for compliance ended yesterday.

CA also noted that a parallel code from the Media Owners Association (MOA) that had recommended changes to the one issued by CA had been reviewed.

“The purpose of this code is to act as a baseline to any other consequent code. So we have reviewed the MOA code and advised to have it aligned with the new code,” said Wangusi.

Some of the changes MOA had proposed include regulations on when to air hate speech remarks and inclusion of news as local content to make all media compliant to the 40 per cent requirement.

"Of course some broadcasters have cited that news is the most expensive programming but for now, our laws do not recognise news as local content,” said Wangusi.

CA Director of Multi Media Services Leo Boruett said the authority will soon look into the genres of programming in relation to the 40 per cent local content.

The code will be reviewed every two years.