Don't stifle advertising

Media owners have accused the Government of attempting to kill their enterprise by seeking to deny them much-needed finances to run their businesses. Going by recent developments where the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) Chief Executive Officer Ezekiel Mutua has made edicts that undermine the money-making capacity of media houses, this is a legitimate concern.

Mr Mutua recently banned a whole range of advertisements from being aired on television during the watershed period (5am to 10pm), a move that angered media players and the public alike. The new guidelines, he said, also applied to radio, the Internet and billboards. What raises eyebrows is that it is not Mutua’s duty to regulate advertisements as KFCB’s mandate is restricted to films.