[kictanet] Digital TV migration postponement

[Henry Maina]

Dear All,

See some of the Opinion Pieces I wrote earlier on this issue attached.

Regards

HENRY O. MAINA
DIRECTOR
ARTICLE 19 KENYA/EASTERN AFRICA
P O BOX 2653,00100
NAIROBI
TEL:+254 (20) 3862230/2
FAX:+254 (20) 3862231
EMAIL: henry at article19.org

________________________________________
From: kictanet [kictanet-bounces+henry=article19.org at lists.kictanet.or.ke] on behalf of bitange at jambo.co.ke [bitange at jambo.co.ke]
Sent: 31 October 2012 06:15 PM
To: Henry Maina
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Digital TV migration postponement

Dakitari Nyabuga,
Digital Migration is a policy matter and as far as I am concerned, the Ministry has never retracted on the statement that I made. The regulator was simply expressing his views. The migration date is a Cabinet decision and we proposed that end of December should be a fair date. The decision to confirm our proposal is not out yet.

The regulator has issued new licenses to more than 60 new broadcasters. If these new players come with new content, it will compel viewers to seek to migrate. The current simulcast does not offer any incentive for anyone to migrate. Citizen is the most watched channel because of its local content. If it shuts down its analogue channel, a great number of people will migrate at any cost. This why we need the new entrants to come up with new content including vernacular.

In the next month we shall see new vernacular entrants and that will confirm that content remains King and driver of TV viewer ship.

If there is any sector that will create thousands of jobs in the next two years, it is the creative economy sub sector (ranging from Film, animation, music to art). Sixty percent of the California economy comes from that sector. There is no TV channel in Kenya that has sufficient Children's content. We have thousands of graduates who should be working around edutainment. Kenyans are now glued to Nigerian content that has only one plot - witchcraft.

Whereas I agree with David Makali on some issues, I flatly disagree with him that content is not the problem in the migration to Digital. Indeed if we assisted our youth, you will see our content in the entire region. In Congo our Vioja Mahakamani is a hit that people leave work early to go home and watch. Content is so critical that we must elevate it to the level of our regional diplomacy and trade if we can deal with pirating.

Two weeks ago we organised for Cabinet and senior civil servants to watch Nairobi Half life as part of the sensatization exercise. The out come was great and hopefully the watchers got the sneak preview of where the other half of the population come from. Most of those who attended got to know the foundation of crime in our country. It is a shame that when one's tummy is full they get to assume that everybody's too is full. Film has a way of not only creating opportunity for livelihood but it has the other side of creating awareness and there a million other social issues we must raise and keep our youth busy.

Ndemo.


Sent from my BlackBerry®

-----Original Message-----
From: George Nyabuga <george at afrinic.net>
Sender: "kictanet" <kictanet-bounces+bitange=jambo.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke>Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2012 10:17:56
To: <bitange at jambo.co.ke>
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Digital TV migration postponement

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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.

KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
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