Broadcasters to air 60% of local content by 2018

The government is set to increase local content broadcasted by local TV stations to 60% across the country by 2018, this is after the five main local broadcasters exceeded the 40 per cent local content cut as of June 2015.

The move to have 60% local content aired on local TV channels by 2018 was reached through a local content roadmap that was shared to the local broadcasters back in 2013.

This was said during the Local Content Soko event held today by Communications Authority of Kenya in collaboration with Kenya Film Commission with an aim of letting broadcasters sample out some local productions.

“The revised ICT sector legal framework vests the Authority with the responsibility of facilitating and encouraging development of local programmes. This responsibility entails prescribing the local content quotas adhered to by licensees and ensuring compliance with the prescribed thresholds,” said Francis Wangusi, Director General, Communication Authority of Kenya (CA), through a speech read in by Eng. Leo Boruett, Director Multimedia services CA.

He further added, “As at June2015, five of the 14 broadcasters that were on air prior to the migration to the digital platform had surpassed the 40% local content quota, showing that majority of broadcasters were taking necessary steps to comply with local content quotas.”

However, despite Kenya having over 16 million active media consumers, its local content producers are struggling to make inroads in the local market, trailing rivals’ telanovas Nollywood and Hollywood. The regulator feels that this is changing especially after the Digital Migration where more broadcasters are moving to consume local content, though there is still more to be done.

“Local content is equally important as it helps us as Kenyans tell our own story through our own lens. In Nigeria local content production is the second largest contributor to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) after oil and Kenya being quite creative we should be able to consume our local content and grow it to enable it become a great contributor to our GDP too,” said Kenya Film Commission CEO Lizzie Chongoti.

CA also noted that they were currently carrying out a study to unearth challenges faced by local content producers and why some genres of production like those on children, documentaries and people living with disabilities were under represented.

The regulator also wants every new licensee putting up a broadcasting station to provide sign language interpretation and captioning particularly during news, coverage of emergencies and events of national importance.

Meanwhile, Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) is working on laws that will see websites that violate copyright requirements against local content producers blocked. The move is largely meant to protect Kenya’s new movie and television industry.

According to Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) Chief Legal Counsel Edward Sigei, the laws are an amendment to the Copyright Act but will be incorporated under the Kenya Information and Communications Act and are set to take effect before year end.