Communications Authority of Kenya Director General Francis Wangusi has supported the establishment of competition in the media industry in Kenya. Speaking at a breakfast meeting to launch the 3rd Edition of the KUZA Awards in collaboration with the Media Council of Kenya, Media Owners Association of Kenya and the Kenya Copyright Board in Nairobi, Wangusi said he has received complaints from the ‘big broadcasters’ for introducing competition as the regulator, and he said it’s because they aren’t ready to keep up with the demands, “They aren’t ready to run with the world,” he said.
The CA boss said there are currently 173 radio stations and 68 TV stations, all looking to capture the attention of Kenyans. He cited some big companies that enjoyed dominance on the international stage have faced scrutiny and pressure to be split to level the playing field, “Let no one say when we are regulating competition we are killing success,” he said. The KUZA Awards in different categories will be given out in May 2019, after views and votes are collected from viewers and listeners, and Wangusi said stakeholders should be competitive.
He further urged the practitioners in the media industry to target other aspects of growth, instead of focusing on the common avenues that lack modern innovation and trends, adding that jobs aren’t there anymore, but innovators are the ones who are creating jobs for themselves. The Awards are set to honour best broadcasters in different categories including People’s Choice Awards for both TV and Radio, Children Programming Award, Copyright Award, Local Content Prime Time Award, Regional Radio stations among others. The 3rd Edition is not only set to recognize compliance with regulatory provisions but also celebrate broadcasting industry heroes.