DIGITAL MIGRATION:

Untold Details Behind Digital Migration in Kenya

By Maritim Kipngetich

Digital migration in the media houses  has been the subject before the court since last year December. The three giant media houses which include the Royal Media Services, the Nation Media Group and the Standard Media Group are opposed to the issue since the tender was given to foreign companies. However, the discussion never arose from tendering process only, it also emanated from restrictions which media houses will get from signal distributors.

In analogue terrestrial television, the broadcaster develops content, such as news; rolls out transmission infrastructure; maintains the infrastructure; owns the transmission infrastructure; and transmits the content that the broadcaster has developed. However, in digital terrestrial television, the equation changes, as the broadcaster is now restricted to developing content, while a different market player, the signal distributor, is licensed to carry and distribute the content so developed. Under the digital terrestrial television, the signal distributor owns the transmission infrastructure, and only transmits the content as developed by the broadcaster, to the end-users. In this scheme, frequencies are given to the signal distributor and not the broadcaster, and the broadcaster, or content developer, pays a fee for the transmission effected by the signal distributor       

Unlike with analogue terrestrial television, the broadcasters, in digital terrestrial television would not need a nationwide reach on the basis of allocated frequencies and transmitters, as the signal distributor would be licensed in that regard. The nationwide reach of a broadcaster would no longer be dependent on the transmission capacity, or number of allocated frequencies. The effect of these changes would be to level the field for all players in the industry, and to enhance efficiency in the utilization of frequencies benefits. A signal distributor operated as a mere conveyor-belt.  It acts this way in that it will majorly play the role of submitting developed content from the broadcaster to the final consumers- audience.

The decision of what to broadcast at some point will depend on the signal distributor in that it has a mandate to cut off what would be broadcast in case the content is unsuitable or during state of emergency issued in accordance with the law. However, the broadcaster will still enjoy advertising revenue fee.