Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs Cabinet Secretary (CS), Joe Mucheru, has said the government is committed to support Community Radio and TV Station through advertisements.
Speaking while gracing the launch of Trinity FM Radio and TV station in Ol-Kalou Town of Nyandarua County, Mucheru said the Ministry through Government Advertising Agency (GAA), is working on a framework to support the community stations with advertisements to earn revenue.
“As you get more and more people, advertisers are going to reach them and through this, the stations will earn money to pay workers,” said the Cabinet Secretary.
Mr Mucheru, while acknowledging the milestones that the media industry has achieved since the digital migration in 2014, lauded the move the sector has taken that has seen transformation of broadcasting down to the villages
Communication Authority of Kenya (CA) Director General, Ezra Chiloba, who was also at the function said the CA is aiming at licensing about 93 community stations, to cater for the special interests of the various communities and to boost networking.
Mr Chiloba said access to information through radio and internet will, by 2023, be as easy as the Authority hopes to attain full networking.
“From 2015, we have licensed 23 stations and we hope to license 33 more by the end of this year. Our aim is to use the Community Broadcasting Licensing programme, to ensure the radios meet the information needs of the citizens,” added the CA boss.
Chiloba urged community radios to ensure that the citizens were informed with factual information, saying that they ought to improve the socioeconomic wellbeing of the country in addition to informing decision making in investment.
“We must abide by the code, especially as we head to the 2022 General Elections, the radios have a critical role in bringing sanity and cohesion, through factual reporting,” noted Chiloba.
Trinity Stations proprietor, Bishop Josam Kariuki, noted the need for the residents to invest in the County
The Station becomes the first to set base in Nyandarua County, with residents calling on the CA to boost the Radio and TV signals in the County, particularly Ol-Kalou town and its environs.
By Anne Sabuni
