On Monday high court judge Manyanja ruled against the Media Owners plea of suspending digital migration which would see many screens blur. They acted by switching off the stations as a way of protesting.

The reasoning they give to the layman is a hogwash saying the migration will lock out many people who can't afford,they want the public to feel that they are emphatic but as you are about to realise,its all a sham and a huge scandal behind. To a simple backgrounding.

A few years ago, the Kenyan government invited tenders for the distribution of digital signal amid pressure from the International Telecommunication Union that was pushing to abandon the outdated analogy signal.

At the end of the process, Signet and PAN won the tender, edging out a consortium of that included Citizen, NTV and KTN. Despite losing, the three broadcasters loathing the fact that they would have to pay KBC-affiliated Signet and the Chinese firm pushed the government to approve the third licence.

But CCK rejected, claiming it was set aside for a telecommunication firm. Since then they've been pulling a number of tricks and stunts e.g. they once all removed their channels from star times, this is just the nation one stunt they have pulled.

KTN, NTV and Citizen have no problem with the migration.That's not really what they are fighting. They know it is inevitable and they can't stop it. What they want and the reason they all came together like loving brothers and sisters is because they want to be the supplier of YOUR set box (e.g. like Star-times) why so that they can charge you a monthly fee

It's a different way to earn revenue from TV, like the Zuku's and DSTVs! They however did not win that tender and that's why they are fighting and delaying the migration in the name of "the public ain't ready".

Another fear is competition,once the digital migration is effective a lot of content will be available on different platforms,the big three are worried of losing their monopolistic grip of the advertisement industry. These stations entirely depend on advertisement so in the case many competitors gets into the market then their revenue will undoubtedly be affected. Now you understand their little fear.

Many Kenyans especially online were unamused and the blackout got a backlash reception:

@AntiBigwig: If they are serious, why don't they deactivate their Twitter accounts? We do not want to see them! #MediaBlackoutKE

@GladMariana: Dear @KTNKenya @citizentvkenya @ntvkenya #MediaBlackoutKE get ur act 2getha or 4eva remain in darkness

@evangelinechao: This #MediaBlackoutKE people are not any better than college kids who strike because they aren't ready for exams.

@Mwanimozay: #MediaBlackoutKE KTN,NTV,CITIZEN kazi ya media nikubroadcast, kublackout achieni mlevi

@mokayah: The only thing that would get me going to the streets to protest is if they switched off the internet." #MediaBlackoutKE

@Saherbalist: The big three thought they will get public sympathy by switching off #digitalmigration tumetoka analogue tuko digital!!!

@Kimtaimathew: CCK should just carry on with their plan of #DigitalMigration. We need to move on!!!

@NiNanjira: Woiye, #MediaBlackoutKE really could be doing us a favour. Remember all those times we asked them to give politicians a blackout? Behold! #MediaBlackOutKe @knkenya @ntvkenya @CitizenTVNews  Are off air! Blackmail will not help you. SHUTDOWN and close your stations.

Now that you understand better the little secret these boys are keeping away from you,should we go digital or remain analog and do you support the blackout.

10 comments:

  1. wanafaa wa blackout mpaka 2063 when we will be Kenya @100

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  2. Trying to incite Kenyans against the Government, you were supposed to switch off Nairobi only, why the whole Nation?

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  3. Its their responsibility to inform Kenyans about analogue digital migration, but not inciting them via radio stations.

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. What you did not know is that the local consortium formed by Citizen, KTN and NTV was not after selling Set-Top boxes alone. The local conglomerate was after establishing company that would see employment of Kenyans in the telecommunication and multimedia areas many of whom are graduates and unemployed probably as matatu touts and sellers of mutura in local joints.

    What you did not know when writing this article is that, when the local conglomerate of Citizen, KTN and NTV was formed, they were after creation of employment as their main agenda. When the Govt denied them a license to operate, they were selling jobs to the SouthAfricans and the Chinese. What the local conglomerate wanted was to provide Kenyans with PayTV services apart from being given the opportunity to enjoy local channels at no extra cost.

    You probably do not know that Signet is partly owned by DSTV and masquerading under PAN. Signet is not a single entity it is a consortium of Multichoice and KBC. It is not only Citizen et al. who are protesting against this move, even ZUKU did air out their grievances against this SIGNET entity.

    http://mobile.businessdailyafrica.com/Corporate+News/Wananchi+Group+asks+agency+to+probe+KBC+dominance/-/1144450/1329048/-/format/xhtml/-/io6e67z/-/1346313517000

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  6. The sad move by media houses is akin to self-induced coma, which is self-debilitating, as advertising agencies are now flocking. http://goo.gl/Ikpizi

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  7. As usual, the blogger who posted this didn't know what he was doing. Total crap Nairobi exposed. Get your facts right. Poor journalism

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