Kenyan broadcasters meet 90 percent local content quotas in 6years

By Steve UMIDHA

Kenyan broadcasters have achieved an impressive 90 percent compliance levels in local content programming from 50 percent in 2017, according to the latest figures by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA).

In 2017, the authority had set a quota 40 requirement for all broadcasters on free-to-air channels.

“All these are in addition to other improvements, but without forgetting the arduous ‘watershed period’ requirement whose compliance level has now surpassed the 90 percent marks,” noted CA’s Director – general Ezra Chiloba, during this year’s KUZA Broadcasting Awards 2023.

Kuza Broadcasting Awards 2023, is an initiative by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) that seeks to recognize and fete excellence in broadcasting. Marked last Friday, this year’s theme was dubbed is “Shaping the Future of Broadcasting: Towards the Creative Economy”.

Further, Chiloba noted that, compliance with the people living with disabilities (PWDs) sign language insert requirement which stood at 70 percent in 2017 to 100 percent.

The most sort for Childrens’ programming that has now reached 30 percent, up from a paltry 5 percent back in 2017.

This is meant to enhance the opportunities and economic value for local artistes and entrepreneurs with the expectation that in time, the local content producers would improve the quality and quantity of their productions, ultimately controlling the cultural sectors. Use of more foreign content amounts to denial of copyright royalties to local artistes and payment of the same to foreign artistes.

Currently, the programming code for broadcasting services in Kenya requires that broadcasting organisations ensure that at least 40 percent of their stations’ programming is local content. The new proposal under review looks to raise the bar to 60 percent.

The local content threshold is quite low as it requires one of the authors of the music or film to be a Kenyan citizen. A foreign citizen resident in Kenya would presumably benefit.

Children’s programming still low

Locally made children’s programming had all but been diminishing in most television networks and are slowly being replaced by heavy commercials across major outlets.

Leading networks are screening just 45 minutes daily, 7 days a week, of Childrens’ programs and Communications Authority (CA) says that these figures are stark and is now calling for more Childrens’ content among media owners to at least achieve 5 – hours a day of such programming.

“Our kids need to grow up with the opportunity to enjoy and learn from locally produced shows. Our TV stations should do more on this front,” said an official from CA during a media training.

Some of the most popular Children’s televisions shows in Kenya are Tinga Tinga Tales – a perfect way for curious kids to learn about the animal kingdom.

Tinga Tinga Tales is a Kenyan animated series that’s inspired by African folk tales and tells the story of the origin of various animals. Using captivating stories, colour and songs, Tinga Tinga Tales explains how animals came to be how they are today – why does the lion have a trunk, why the eagles rule the sky, why a chameleon changes its colours and more.

Akili and Me is yet another animated edutainment series set in Tanzania that is perfect for preschoolers. The series follows the young Akili as she escapes to the magical dream world of Lala Land where animals can talk and where Akili together with her animal friends get to learn about language, letters, numbers and art.

The Kenyan government in 2014 passed a broadcasting regulation requiring broadcasting stations to ensure 40 percent local content in TV and radio broadcasts.

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) had in 2021 also announced that it was finalizing on the review of children and local content programming guidelines, in recognition of the changing nature of broadcasting models.

Unlike under the Unified Programming Code, where both free-to air and pay television providers were required to meet similar set requirements, the proposed new guidelines are ‘service-specific’, applicable only to licensees offering the service in question, for example News, or premium content.

The broadcasting sector guidelines will also expound on the provisions of the Programming Code and cater for emerging broadcasting industry requirements.