List of Over 58 TV Stations and Shut Down By CAK
In its latest sweep, the Communication Authority of Kenya (CAK) has shut down over 58 television stations operating in the country and six courier companies.
The notable stations that have been affected include Pwani TV, Mt Kenya TV, Christian Faith TV, Kwese Free Sport, Harvest Family TV, Daystar TV, and Mitume TV, among others.
According to the CAK, a further nine more category-A media houses have requested to sell off their licenses.
Communication Authority can shut down a TV station for several reasons, mainly related to regulatory violations or breaches of broadcasting standards.
The 58 shut down TV stations are classified as category A and are all commercial televisions, partly depicting the tough operating environment in the country for media enterprises.
These actions are typically done to make sure TV stations follow the rules set forth by the Authority, enforce regulatory compliance, and uphold broadcasting standards.
Six postal courier operators (classified as Category-B) have also had their certificates revoked, and they are no longer permitted to operate and offer their services.
Among these courier services are Modest Collections, Shopn Shopn Online store, Superwave Security E.A., Wilift Transport Limited, Baluzis Delivery Limited, and Buscar East Africa Limited.
According to the most recent data from the Communications Authority, despite the growing use of digital channels, television advertising is still dominant in Kenya at the time of the closures.
As more online news outlets and digital channels have emerged, Kenya’s media scene has grown more competitive.
The struggle for audience attention has intensified, despite ongoing government advertising cuts that affect conventional media outlets by dividing advertising revenue across multiple channels.
Government budget constraints have often resulted in a decline in media spending, and marketers are now placing a higher priority on market retention by using low-cost targeted exposure techniques.
