Kenyan digital migration row knocks off TV stations

THREE of Kenya’s main private TV stations are unavailable in most of the country due to a row over the switch from analogue to digital transmission.

The analogue signal for KTN, Citizen, NTV and its subsidiary QTV were turned off over the weekend.

The TV stations switched off their digital signals in protest, leaving most Kenyans confused and in the dark.

The Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the migration must continue, rejecting their request for a three-month delay.

The ruling was the latest in a series of court battles between the media companies and the regulatory body, the Communications Authority of Kenya.

The companies say they want more time to import their own set-top boxes that would distribute their content.

Two providers – one owned by the Kenyan government and the other by a Chinese firm – are already in operation.

About a third of Kenya’s households own a television set, the main news source in urban areas.

The communications authority says 60% of those have now acquired a set-top box to receive a digital signal.