Ndemo faults Kenya Media Owners on digital broadcasting contract

By PETER OPIYO

The Government has accused the local TV stations of planning to frustrate the digital migration rollout programme by failing to adhere to the requirements as set out by the State.

While appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Energy, Information and Communication Permanent Secretary Bitange Ndemo denied claims that the ministry acted in disregard of the law by entering into an agreement with Smart TV to broadcast digital content.

He told the James Rege-led Committee that the local TV stations were given time to provide new content for digital broadcast to help in the roll out of the programme that would aid the country migrate from analogue to digital broadcast, but they were still buying time.

It is at this point that Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) entered into an agreement with Smart TV.

"We gave every broadcaster a free channel so that they give us new content as they continue to advertise on the analogue system, but for one full year they never gave us any content," said Ndemo.

He said the Government was conscious of time and did not want a situation where Kenya would go to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), a body that regulates global telecommunications seeking extension of the migration period.

Kenya is set to migrate to digital broadcasting by 2012 while the global deadline is 2015.

Besides, he said not one of the local TV stations has broadcast license, save for KBC, thereby complicating matters.

The Government established Signet, a subsidiary company of KBC, to give platform for the migration from analogue to digital broadcasts.

Currently, the country is in a simulcast (simultaneous broadcasting of analogue and digital signals) period to oversee the migration. Treasury allocated Sh200 million for the programme but Ndemo said only Sh154 was used to set up the company.
Appearing before the same committee on Tuesday, Media Owners Association (MOA) cried foul over the deal, saying the Government acted behind their backs and engaged in an irregularity by entering into an agreement with Smart TV.

Led by MOA Vice Chairman Mr Kiprono Kittony, they argued Smart TV was given eight channels that they gave to Signet for testing purposes.

They said Smart TV packaged the same and Kenyans can only access them as pay channels.

But on Thursday Ndemo said the agreement KBC entered with the Swedish company is a kin to the agreements it has entered into with other local TV stations like K24 and KISS, amongst others, and therefore is not irregular.

"There is no irregularity and if there is, then I will take responsibility," said Ndemo, saying that the window has not been closed and that any local TV station can still be given the green light to broadcast digital content so long as they give new content to KBC.

Once the transition is complete, those with analogue TVs would be required to purchase set-top boxes to access free-to-air digital content.