Kenyan-made children’s TV ‘all but gone’ from commercial free-to-air networks – CA

By Victor MUJIDU

Locally made children’s programming has 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.