Tanzania PayTV Azam Media launches in Kenya

Tanzania-based media company Azam Media has launched a new pay television service in Kenya to get a slice of the country's growing market.

The move comes at a time when Kenya is expecting to finally shift from analogue to digital broadcasting beginning next month, a move expected to greatly facilitate growth of the local entertainment industry.

Azam TV joins a growing list of media content providers recently licensed by the Communication Authority of Kenya, in the build-up of the digital migration switch whose global deadline is June 2015. On Wednesday, the government through CAK stated that the scheduled phase off of analogue signals will start with Nairobi at the end of this month with the second phase covering major towns including Mombasa, Malindi, Nyeri, Meru, Kisumu, Webuye and Kakamega.

Other areas like Garissa, Kitui, Lodwar, Lokichogio, Kapenguria, Kabarnet and Migori will be covered in the second phase and by the end of march next year, television viewers from all over the country are expected to experience digital broadcasting.

The pay TV market has traditionally been a hard nut to crack for players trying to break the dominance of South African company Multichoice which holds a majority share of the market. Azam media states that Azam TV will offer 60 local and international channels and will cost Sh870 per month, a pricing model which will drive volumes and boost revenue.

"We know that there are other companies in the pay TV industry whose model is exclusive packages for a higher premium but we have one bouquet for all our subscribers which costs the same across the markets," said Mr Rhys Torrington, Azam TV CEO.

The fully installed AZAM TV setup is retailing at an introductory price of Sh6,300 or Sh2,905 for a decoder and smartcard only for viewers who already have satellite dishes. The normal price for a decoder, dish and installation after the introductory offer will be Sh9,000.

Azam Tv is on an ambitious African-wide expansion plan which has seen the company venture into Uganda, Kenya, Zaire and is currently eying Zambia and Rwanda.

"We believe that there is a huge market particularly television viewers who are having their first pay TV experience and since launching in Tanzania exactly a year ago and in just under a year we have sold over 150,000 full decoder kits," said Torrington.