Government Vs Media

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Elder Lister
This is going to be a classic case of "making your bed now lie in it " it cannot be business as usual given the lop sided coverage in the just concluded elections when push comes to shove private media may just give a blackout to government functions starting with royal media

 
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Denis Young

Elder Lister
I said it.
The problem with companies like RMS, they survive on advertiser revenue and a big part of that is from government.
I already saw a suggestion from David Ndii insinuating the end or suspension of government advertising on private media. All that would go to KBC.

Good news in my view, while others may suggest revisiting. It is good because for once we won't have a media for hire based on government contracts. Second, innovation. They have been so comfortable no wonder they never create anything worth watching apart from news.

I could add more, but nitakuwa nikijazia admin server bure.
 

Field Marshal

Elder Lister
I said it.
The problem with companies like RMS, they survive on advertiser revenue and a big part of that is from government.
I already saw a suggestion from David Ndii insinuating the end or suspension of government advertising on private media. All that would go to KBC.

Good news in my view, while others may suggest revisiting. It is good because for once we won't have a media for hire based on government contracts. Second, innovation. They have been so comfortable no wonder they never create anything worth watching apart from news.

I could add more, but nitakuwa nikijazia admin server bure.
You are right.

I fully support this move, and the earlier circular from Chirchir that no govt body buys and media space to congratulate President-Elect Ruto. The likes of Mwarimo will fulminate and throw shade, but with that one move alone the new government has saved the taxpayer upwards of Sh400 million (a full page ad in Nation costs around Ksh800,000 for context, while a 30 second clip on Citizen can cost 200k).

Imagine all counties (47), parastatals (about 250), ministries, universities, colleges, departments, etc etc lining up to pay both the print and electronic media millions !

Uhuru had made an effort to eliminate this ripoff by our so-called media by establishing GAA but his infantile need to be loved sabotaged the whole effort...
 
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Meria

Elder Lister
Staff member
You are right.

I fully support this move, and the earlier circular from Chirchir that no govt body buys and media space to congratulate President-Elect Ruto. The likes of Mwarimo will fulminate and throw shade, but with that one move alone the new government has saved the taxpayer upwards of Sh400 million (a full page ad in Nation costs around Ksh800,000 for context, while a 30 second clip on Citizen can cost 200k).

Imagine all counties (47), parastatals (about 250), ministries, universities, colleges, departments, etc etc lining up to pay both the print and electronic media millions !

Uhuru had made an effort to eliminate this ripoff by our so-called media by establishing GAA but his infantile need to be loved sabotaged the whole effort...
The public broadcaster KBC cannot meet its financial obligations due to huge debts and outstanding loans, ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru has revealed. Mucheru said KBC has debts amounting to Sh4.2 billion and is unable to repay a Japanese loan of Sh79.9 billion. “The national broadcaster is technically insolvent. The debts are both recurrent and development,” Mucheru told the Senate Standing Committee on ICT on Wednesday. A company becomes technically insolvent when it has a negative net asset value- its liabilities are greater than its assets. Mucheru, however, told senators his ministry is looking at ways of addressing the challenges facing the national broadcaster, saying it plays a critical role in the development of the country. “The financial problems mean that KBC is unable to undertake reforms recommended in the National ICT Policy,” he explained. He said KBC staff are never paid on time and are, as a result, highly demoralised. "The financial woes mean that KBC is unable to maintain equipment, implement development projects and achieve its obligations.” Mucheru added that KBC is faced with an aging staff, with its coverage being only three per cent of the market share. He said his ministry is having discussions with the National Treasury with a view to bailing out the state corporation. “KBC needs funding to improve infrastructure, revamp its content, restructure the balance sheet, rationalise staff and re-brand,” he added. Mucheru said Sh11.2 billion is needed in the next five years to get the national broadcaster out of the financial difficulties. “KBC further requires an additional funding of Sh1.8 billion annually. The draft memo is currently with the National Treasury awaiting their input,” he said. ICT Principal Secretary Esther Koimett said they are waiting for correspondence from National Treasury. “Once it is completed, we will be able to start the process of dealing with the challenges,” she said. KBC managing director Naim Bilal promised to revamp the corporation with the support of the government. “We have very clear strategies and comprehensive plans of how we want to turn around KBC,” he said. Nominated Senator Petronilla Were said the National Treasury should take over the loan from Japan. “If it is written off, it will be a great thing. We have been saving the national carrier Kenya Airways all the time. Why can't we save KBC?” she posed. She added that there should be a policy requiring a certain percentage of adverts to go to KBC. The committee vice chair Abshiro Halake asked the ministry to provide timelines of their course of action. “With the timelines, we will be able to track the progress being made to save KBC,” she explained. Troubles in KBC are believed to have started in 1989 when the public broadcaster signed a contract with the Japan Telecommunications Engineering Consultancy Service (JETC) for a Sh1 billion loan to buy equipment to improve and expand broadcasting network. And in 1991, KBC signed a contract with Marubeni Corporation of Tokyo for upgrading medium wave transmitting stations and construction of new ones
 

Mwalimu-G

Elder Lister
The problem with companies like RMS, they survive on advertiser revenue and a big part of that is from government.
I already saw a suggestion from David Ndii insinuating the end or suspension of government advertising on private media. All that would go to KBC
1. Electronic media is not as dependent on govt ad spend as print. The government advertizes on radio and TV only when there are special programs like polio vaccination and COVID19 mass awareness campaigns. And even then the media houses are requested to donate the airtime because the matters are of public interest.
2. Ndii will not be introducing anything radical as the Govt has already been rationalizing its ad-spend by only placing ads in the medium that will give best value. The Government Advertising Agency has been in existence since 2013/4 to advice State Departments and Semi Autonomous Government Agencies (SAGAS) on the most efficient medium for reach and value for money.
 
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