Media Blackout is good for Digital Migration

Ever since the Government announced that the deadline for Digital Migration in Nairobi will be on 13th December, we at Kachwanya.com have tried to enlighten Kenyans on the meaning and implications of Digital Migration and provided guidelines regarding the existing STB decoders as well as highlighting the preparedness of different Pay TV providers for digital migration. You may read some of our previous articles on this subject under:

  1. Comprehensive guide on Digital Migration
  2. Digital Migration: Available options from Pay TV providers on FTA 
  3. Digital Migration: STBs should be subsidized

However, the mainstream media decided not to educate Kenyans on the same. They were and still are quiet on their TVs, print media and radio stations on this subject. Given that they have the “contentious issues” that has led to NTV, KTN, QTV and Citizen TV go off air since last night, they collectively agreed to give Digital TV Kenya a blackout. This has made many Kenyans be ignorant of digital migration and its requirements.

There are Kenyans who have equated Digital Migration to purchasing pay TV. These Kenyans do not support Digital Migration simply because they think that the Government’s decision to switch off Analogue signal means they will be required to pay monthly subscription to watch their favorite programmes that they have been watching free of charge. We attempted to address this misconception in the article No monthly subscription for digital TV. Until now, some Kenyans, some very educated, still think that there is a requirement for monthly subscription for digital TV.

Then there is the misconception that Digital Migration will require people to buy special TV sets. In the minds of many, these special TV sets are the plasma, LED, OLED, or LCD flat screen TVs that they think are digital ready. Part of these Kenyans who already have these types of flat screen TVs think that they are ready for digital migration.They are not aware that they should buy a simple Set Top Box decoder that will convert the digital signal back to analogue signal for the TVs, unless they have the TVs with inbuilt tuners (decoders).

However, ever since part of the TV stations went off air, there have been increased inquiries on this subject of Digital Migration. Personally I have received a number of calls from friends wanting to know more about Digital Migration and I’m happy to say that Kenyans all over are getting enlightened on and getting ready for digital migration, thanks to MediaBlackoutKe.

Digital Migration is good for Kenyans. The mainstream media blackout on digital migration has been bad for us. But their decision to go off air is the best thing they could have done to make us prepare faster for the migration. Best of all, most Kenyans are in full support of Digital Migration.

The part of the media against digital migration stand to lose and lose big. Even though Consumer Federation (who are supposed to be fighting on behalf of consumers and not suppliers) have decided to support the media instead of the viewers and are of the opinion that “No one in the history of all democracies has ever won battle against media”,  The media and consumer federation ought to be told, louder, the words of Ako Fred, “No one has ever won battle against technology”.

The continued enlightenment among Kenyans on digital migration is the reason I say, “Media Blackout is good for Digital Migration”.

Odipo Riaga2215 Posts

Film Director, Tech and Business Blogger, Chess Player, and Photographer. God is Science.

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