Govt Directs All of Its Advertising to KBC
Edward Kisiang’ani, the Principal Secretary of ICT, has mandated that all government entities must advertise solely through the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC).
In a communication sent to Principal Secretaries and leaders of diverse State Corporations on Thursday, March 7, the Principal Secretary emphasized that the instruction is in line with the government’s choice to centralize all public advertising.
Moreover, Kisinag’ani explained that the national broadcaster has an extensive viewership across the entire Kenyan population. As a result, the decision to concentrate government advertising with the broadcaster is viewed as a strategic and effective approach.
The recent directive deals a significant blow to prominent media outlets like Citizen TV, NTV, and KTN, as they heavily rely on government advertisements as a crucial source of revenue.
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“In light of the foregoing, all public sector electronic (radio and television) advertisements from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) that fall under the National Government, Independent Commissions, and Public Universities shall be handled by the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) upon authorization by the Government Advertising Agency (GAA).
“It is noted that the national network coverage commanded by KBC gives an assurance of a nationwide reach by advertisers,” read the letter in part.
However, he clarified that the directive is aimed at assisting the government in fulfilling its strategy to rejuvenate the country’s public broadcasting service.
“The Government is keen to revive the KBC through a modernization framework that will make it the premier national broadcaster in Africa. This effort requires the national broadcaster to take the lead in the dissemination of information in Kenya.
“The purpose of this communication, therefore, is to bring this new policy decision to your attention and to request you to take the necessary action as and when required,” the PS added in his letter.
Significantly, the choice was made several weeks after the government’s shift of advertisements from the usual MyGov platform to The Star Newspaper for print media publication.
The Pending Bill Factor
Kisiang’ani’s letter suggests that the most recent instruction was influenced by the significant outstanding debts owed to the media companies.
To promote accountability, the Public Servant stated that transitioning to KBC would resolve the growing backlog of unpaid government advertising bills.
The existing scenario, wherein the government has accrued a considerable sum in outstanding payments to media organizations, necessitates the implementation of tactics to facilitate the seamless provision of public sector advertising services without accumulating any debts.
“These strategies must also align with the government policy of reviving ailing public sector entities and ensuring that any public-private partnership is not skewed against public sector institutions,” he explained.
Govt Directs All of Its Advertising to KBC
